Something New: Part 2

In Part 2, Jojo and Paul talk honestly about cultural differences, unexpected twists, and how choosing to put God first shaped their relationship. A story marked by grace, growth, and God’s unfailing kindness. Check out Part 1 for how Jojo and Paul met!

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Transcript

Speaker 0:00

I'm Jojo. I'm Bugs. And welcome to our podcast. We bring our sidewalk conversations to your home to discuss love, life, and how they're all wrapped up with faith. Unexpected hope talks about life when expectations don't line up with reality. Hear true stories when only faith and resilience get you through. Let's go with the flow. Woo-hoo!

Speaker 1 0:31

Meeting my husband online was not how I imagined I would meet my Prince Darling. But a couple months in, I was hugged. And then we realized our cultural differences might pose a challenge. I think four months after you said you loved me the first time. Um, and I mean things are great, to be honest with you, until I kind of told you like I was black. And you're like, yeah, I'm Korean. We had to really acknowledge the fact that like we were different races. Um, and I asked you one night, I was like, are your parents gonna be okay with our relationship? And I remember the night and there was a pause and you said, I'm not sure.

Speaker 3 1:22

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:23

You said I'm not sure.

Speaker 3 1:24

Yeah, I mean I have a pretty traditional family and I think they they would be shocked if I was dating somebody who wasn't Korean, yeah, you know, already. That's a shock already to them. So imagine somebody who, you know, just had completely different culture or skin color even. So yeah, that was something that was on my mind at the time. And for listeners to know that it wasn't the first time that I was dating somebody who was black, actually. So I had dated somebody who was black before. Um that didn't go well with your family.

Speaker 1 2:09

Yeah.

Speaker 3 2:10

And so I had already a little bit of experience, you know, or there was a little bit of I knew that this could be an issue. So that was a that was a real tough time.

Speaker 1 2:22

Yeah, once we finally kind of told his parents um about our relationship, that was really difficult because they just they had a hard time like just seeing me. I I actually never met them the first year that we dated, and then and then we broke up like after a year. Um, I mean, this could go on longer than it it can go on, but yeah, um, I think we just weren't ready at that time.

Speaker 3 2:49

Yeah, we can we can save all that for I mean that's a whole other conversation.

Speaker 1 2:56

But yeah, I mean, I think the timing was just not right. And then we broke up after a year, um, and then we got back together like two and a half years later, and it was the right time. Uh, I actually had a point where I told him, I'm not interested in a relationship, and maybe we can just be friends and be done with it. And then he emails me back and he's kind of like, Oh, do you want to go on a date? And I'm kind of like, Did you not see that I just sent me just do what I intended to do?

Speaker 3 3:32

Yeah, yeah, don't listen to anybody.

Speaker 1 3:34

I know, but I think one thing that I really love about our relationship, it's always been hey, like we just really want this to be very Christ-centered and put Christ in the center of a relationship. And I remember um when we started dating the second time, uh, we were at church. Uh, we go to the same church, but I mean, at that time we weren't like officially dating really. Uh, and we just, yeah, yeah, we were just trying to figure out like what we were to each other. But the sermon was on consecration and they did an altar call. They never do an altar call, but it was the first time they actually did an altar call. And I was in the balcony, he was in the lower part of the sanctuary, and we did not know honestly that we were at the same service because we have two different services, but we had we had no clue. But at the altar call, they said, Do you want to consecrate anything in your life? Uh, whether it be a job or finances or relationships or whatever. And, you know, we just started talking to each other, but I mean, I was kind of like, maybe I should put myself out there and just say, Hey, like, I want to consecrate whatever it is that this could be again. Um, I want God to be in the center of this. And so I was about to go up to the stage and then I chickened out. I was like, ah, I don't know, I don't want to do this like by myself.

Speaker 3 4:57

So I for me, like you just said, they usually don't do that to bring up your consecration to the altar. But they created that space. So I was I was thinking and and I was thinking of you. I was thinking of you at the time, and I said, Well, maybe I'll go up there and consecrate stuff. Um I was no stranger to going up to the altar and kneeling and things like that for various other things that we did at church. So, anyways, I was headed that way and and then I just had this thought that, like, oh, I wonder if Josie's here. I wonder if she's here at church, and um what would it be look like if we went up together? And uh, so I did like an about face right away. I was on my way to the altar, and then I just took a detour and then uh and that's when I went up looking around the whole church for for this person. And I searched and searched around the whole church, and then I remembered that she goes on the balcony, that that you sit on the balcony, right? So I was like, okay, I'll go up there. So I went up there, I never go up there, so I went up there and I'm looking and looking and looking. People are looking at me like, what is this guy doing? And I'm looking and looking, and I don't see her, and I go back down, and something drove me to go again up there, and I did, and then when I went up there again, I saw you. So I don't know where you were. Maybe you were in the restroom or something.

Speaker 1 6:38

No, I was trying to go to the altar, but then I chickened out. So I actually I went down the stairs, so you did go down, and then I was like, uh, I'm not gonna do this. And I went right back up. So I think that's when I went down that you saw me for the first time and I wasn't there.

Speaker 3 6:51

Yeah, and then so I saw her and I froze and I'm like, oh, she is here, and uh, and then I went up to you, and and I think you knew you knew exactly where I was going with the whole thing. And I just I think all I did was just like I nodded to her and she looked at me and she nodded, and that's all we needed that connection, and then we we followed each other down to the altar.

Speaker 1 7:18

Yeah, yeah. Seriously, like I was clenching your hand. I was like, Oh my goodness, what are we doing? But we went down to the altar and we just prayed, yeah, and we just asked the Lord, like, Lord, can you be in the center of this? Whatever this is that you're doing, can you be in the center of it? And I just remember it was one of those days that you're like, Whoa, that happened.

Speaker 3 7:40

It was so beautiful, it was it was powerful, yeah. Once I got the feeling in my hand back, I um you know, holding each other, and we just surrendered ourselves and this relationship that was starting to uh take flight again for the second time. Yeah, and so there's probably some angst about that, you know, because we're doing this again, you know. And I thought about that too, is you know, definitely want to bring God more into the center of what what's happening again between us. So anyway, um just just a really, really powerful.

Speaker 1 8:23

It's like one of the most important moments of our relationship. And then we just started again trying to put God at the center of everything that we did. This was in February, and then finally, like in May or June, I was like, Well, are you gonna tell your parents? Are you gonna tell our your parents about this? Or you were gonna wait for a little bit. I think one thing that like I do want to highlight with that is as we were getting to know each other, or what I was talking about timing, it wasn't just timing between the two of us. I think there was also timing with your parents too, because it wasn't the right time for them to actually be comfortable or okay with this relationship. But again, God is so good that at some point they they started to just welcome me into the family.

Speaker 3 9:17

Yeah. Uh I mean, they got very attached to you and they loved you, and and you know, uh, it's hard not to, but yeah, they they loved you and so thankful that they finally had a moment where they can try to open up themselves to possibilities or who their son was dating, and um and wanting to even get to know you, so it was huge. And now to see how it's evolved and how they just absolutely love you, and we're talking what June of 2024. I wasn't so sure. I wasn't so sure how that was gonna unfold. But God knew, God definitely prepared us, yeah, change hearts and um and really just for our relationship, he he answered all the questions. And you just know that wow, we've got the Lord on our side here.

Speaker 1 10:20

Yeah, seriously, I think that was it. We put God at the center of everything, and then he just we're kind of like, All right, Lord, let's see what you do. He kind of blew our minds, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 10:33

Well, he definitely blew mine, so and it just kept on clicking and kept on like God was just putting everything together, yeah. And maybe we had some of our own expectations or something like that, but God put it together in his way, and it was the right way, and it was the right way, and it was it was pretty beautiful, and he's still doing that today with us, yeah.

Speaker 1 10:57

And honestly, with our families, I love when I come home and I see Paul praying with my mom. I love when we pray with his parents and they pray for us. I mean, it just warms my heart in so many ways. Where your mom would be like, Oh, yeah, I've been praying for you. And I'm kind of like, What? That's awesome. But yeah, I love her so dearly. I definitely see her as my beautiful Korean mother.

Speaker 2 11:22

She sees you as her daughter.

Speaker 1 11:24

Well, I mean, what would you tell single people today about waiting for their spouse? Because I know there's a lot of people really wanting to find a spouse in 2026, and they've been waiting and been praying, but what would you tell them?

Speaker 3 11:41

Yeah, I mean, the waiting is tough. It's rough. It's tough. The waiting is tough. We were talking earlier about like how I was already thinking about marriage in my 20s, and so my advice, you have to just try to live your best life. I think what turned it around for me was when I became very single-minded. Like, I'm not gonna let me being single hold me back anymore. You know, sometimes people say, Well, I'm gonna wait till I have a partner before I start this, or or do this, or they may be a little bit more afraid to do it because they want to do it with somebody, or or they just don't think about certain things. I just became very comfortable in being single and concentrating on my relationship with the Lord. I think a long time ago, and said you have to just go all out with your relationship with the God right now. This is the time for you, just you and the Lord, and you know, no limits, and just go for it and just concentrate on your relationship with the Lord, and things will start to change. And it did, and it did, and then it doesn't feel so much as waiting anymore because you are becoming so happy in your singleness, and uh and you're very content with your singleness, and because sometimes people are asking, oh God, why am I single? And I thought you want me to be with a partner, God, and God does. God wants you to be with a partner if you have a longing to have partnership, God wants that for you. What was that verse where God feeds the birds? So why wouldn't he do extra more for you? Kind of thing.

Speaker 1 13:37

Yeah, something like don't be worried because you know he will yeah.

Speaker 3 13:42

So he makes sure all the animals have their ways, the things that they need to live. Why wouldn't he do even more abundantly for you as his child? And we are his children, he wants partnership for you. If that is something that you desire, he wants that, and so you have to just keep reminding yourself that God wants this for you, God is totally for you, he is not purposefully keeping you from getting married because of course there's timing when God has a set time and when he wants to bring two people together, too, of course. Yeah, but he is not purposefully making sure you stay single because he thinks that you are much better as a Christian, a better servant, yeah, as a single person. Yeah, no, God wants you to be married, God wants you to flourish, God wants you to multiply, and all those things. So once I just allowed that kind of truth to be my truth as well, things just started falling into place.

Speaker 1 14:47

Well, I mean, this is why I love this man because he's always like, here's what Jesus would do. But like that verse that you're talking about, that's also one of my favorite verses. It's do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the year. So, amen. Yes, God knows exactly your heart. He actually probably put those things in your heart. But again, sometimes it's not the right timing, and sometimes he wants you to grow. I think for me, I was the same thing. Like, you know, in my 20s, I was in every single prayer group about trying to find my husband. I had this prayer group TOP time of prayer, and we had a group of 13 single women, and we were praying for our husbands. Uh, and this is my early 20s. And then my three best friends that I talk to all the time, and also my co-host Rachel, we were part of this group. Uh, and we would go to mountains and we pray for our husbands, and all of them got married, and I still was single. And so, you know, it came to a point where someone said to me, Would you put wanting a husband more than your love of Jesus? And I said, Oh my God, that would be horrible. Like, no, like I don't want that. And I think when I really took that to, I think it may be Joyce Meyer, but like when I took that to heart, I think that was the point where I became content with, okay, Lord, if you want me to be single, um, or if you want me to get married, like I will never want that to be greater than my desire for you. And that just caused me to be very content with where I was. And then I wrote that letter to you, and I was like, you know what, Paul? Like, I'm very content with where I am. And then, you know, he didn't really listen to that email. But I was really in my heart, like very serious. I'm kind of like, I don't, I'm just gonna trust that God is gonna make it work. And he did. So, um, so what I mean, what to say to single people? I don't want your desire to be greater than your love of God. And so, you know, keep seeking him, keep loving him. And, you know, he wants just like what Paul was saying, he wants the best for you. He wants exactly the things that you need because he put those things in your heart. And so just keep seeking him, seek him with with everything in you, and don't lose faith because one of my favorite verses in the Bible is without faith, it's impossible to please the Lord to know that he is and he's a rewarder of those who faithfully seek him. So you have to continue to have faith, but just continue to seek him with all your heart. That's what I would say to some good folk.

Speaker 3 17:20

Yeah, that's great. And uh I I also want to add real quick that you reminded me about prayer and don't stop praying. Yes, don't stop praying praying. I mean, amen. And it may feel like you're you these prayers are getting old, but do not stop praying for partnership. Yeah, because God is listening to every single prayer. Oh, yeah, He is totally listening.

Speaker 1 17:46

Yeah, I guess again, one of my favorite verses um is rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all situations. I mean, it hits it in three different things. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all situations.

Speaker 3 18:00

But yeah, just don't make it your idol.

Speaker 1 18:03

Yeah.

Speaker 3 18:03

Um you know, the whole marriage thing, your idol, but don't stop praying. And you know, and it it'll happen. Yeah, you you being content in your singleness and don't let that stop you from serving the Lord. Amen.

Speaker 1 18:19

And he knows how he will give you all the desires of your heart, he will, yeah.

Speaker 3 18:23

It'll happen.

Speaker 1 18:24

Yeah. So thanks, love. Thanks for joining me on this podcast. You're an amazing co-host. I love you. Yeah, and hopefully we will start with another season of Unexpected Hope. So we love you, happy new year, and we are praying for you in 2026.

Speaker 3 18:46

Okay, happy 2026.

Speaker 1 18:48

All right, bye guys. God’s redemption and ultimate kindness was weaving into every part of our story. Even in the midst of the unexpected, God’s hope reigns supreme, just continue to have faith. I love what king Jehosophat said In 2 Chronicles, We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. I know things might not be easy, but Fix your eyes on Him and he will direct your path. God bless. If you have any prayer requests, would like to share your story, or have any story ideas, email us at jb.unexpectedhope at gmail.com.