#5. Nameless Star.

Yesterday, I met a man.

Even though he could not see me, hear me, know me... I feel as though he knew I was there. His message spoke to me.

His name is Dr. Young-Woo Kang.

And his story, is nothing short of inspiring.

***

Young-Woo Kang was only 15 years old when he was blinded when a soccer ball hit his left eye. His father passed away earlier that year, so it was his mother and 3 siblings who took care of him while he was in a hospital for two years going through a series of surgeries to attempt to reattach his retina.

Young-Woo's doctor somberly told him after two years, that there was no hope for him any longer. He would be blind for the rest of his life.

Young-Woo Kang had to tell his mother the devestating news. Eight hours later, she passed away from shock.

Now Young-Woo Kang andhis 3 siblings were on their own.

He had an older sister, who was 17 at the time. She pulled herself out of school in order to work in the garment district in order to provide for her 3 younger siblings.

The hours she worked were exhausting, and the same year he lost his sight, his mother... he lost his sister as well.

Without his sight, he was unable to do anything for his 2 younger siblings and they were left as orphans.

***

At this point in his life, he had every reason to give up on life.

Some say he contemplated suicide in his frustration.

When we could never imagine how one could muster the strength to pull through such tragedies, what this man did next, is extraordinary.

***

Rather than giving up on himself, the one thing Kang Young-Woo did, was to make a plan.

He made a plan to put himself through school, and graduate from a distinguished University within 5 years. He applied to Yonsei University, one of South Korea's most prestigious schools. Yonsei turned him down using their standards which discriminated against handicapped students.

But Young-Woo Kang petitioned against their rules which had been intact for years, and overturned them! He graduated 5 years later, years after his fellow colleagues had already graduated due to his delay from being hospitalized. But he did not just graduate... he graduated 10th in his class, out of thousands of his colleagues with honors and distinction.

Then he made his next plan.

He wanted to pursue his Masters Degree in the United States. The Korean government put a stop to his plans saying he would bring shame to the country due to his blindness. Again, Young-Woo petitioned against this, and the South Korean government amended their laws and enabled Young-Woo to be the very first Korean handicapped student to attend a Masters Programs overseas as the country's representative.

Today, this man stands a mere 5' 5", never hiding his eyes, and sitting, standing, walking and talking with the biggest smile on his face.

You see, not only did he begin to defy the odds that stacked against him at every turn he made... but he grew up to become one of the greatest inspirational stories South Korea has to show our world. Once he came to America and began teaching as a professor after his Masters program, President George Bush Sr., heard this man's story. Today, after being appointed twice through the approval of every member of the U.S. Congress, he served in the Bush Administration as a member of the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency which makes recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting 54 million Americans with disabilities. He has written 14 books, two of which have been appointed into the U.S. Congressional Library. He is a father of two sons who grew up to become a national renowned eye surgeon, and a member of President Obama's legislative team.

His accomplishments go on and on...

***

I sat in awe of this man. His strength and his perseverance are unbelieveable.

This man did not waste time sitting around complaining about the injustices he was served throughout his life. Instead, he counted his blessings, and forged ahead, not letting anything get in the way of his sucess.

I looked around the crowded room, and wondered... what complaints did we wake up with this morning?

What enormous stress is burdening us today?

What are we so unsatisfied with this week?

I snickered to myself in disgust of my own self-centered world I've created and festered in. And the size of the problems I've created by placing a mammoth magnifying glass to it in self-pity.

But next to this man, all I could think was how dare I utter a single complaint?

***

This man, who in our eyes, had every right to lash out at God, and curse Him for his unfortunate life... did not.

Young-Woo Kang's testimony is not that he was punished unjustly by losing his family and becoming blind.

Rather, his testimony is that his blindness is his greatest tool bestowed upon him to do the mission work of God.

See, he uses his story, his life and his circumstance as a means to show others the power of God.

Not God's power in what he can take away from us, but how amazing His love is through our most difficult times. How in the darkness of our lives, He is our only light. How He is faithful to those who continue to seek Him.

In the Holy Bible, God says, "My power is made perfect in your weakness."

God didn't create us as these perfect human beings. Rather, we are flawed, we are all handicapped in our own ways... that we may see His perfection and His amazing ways in our lives.

We see God and His strength in its clearest image... when we are broken and cannot rely on our own strengths any longer. When we turn to Him, is when we see His amazing power in our own lives.

This is Kang Young-Woo's message. That is his truth. And it permeated the room with such a heaviness that you could not help but be burdened by the whiny voices in our own heads.

***

Before he ended his sermon, Doctor Kang wanted to share a set of 'laws' he lives by.

The Ten Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership written by a 19 year old student named Kent Keith, who was attending Harvard University at the time in 1968.

1.) People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love and trust them anyway.

2.) If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

3.) If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

4.) The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

5.) Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

6.) The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

7.) People favor underdogs but follow top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

8.) What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

9.) People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.

10.) Give the world the best you have, and you may get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world your best anyway.

***

Because no matter what, life will continue to throw its curveballs at us. That is a constant we can never fight nor dodge.

The question is, what are we going to do about it?

So make a plan.

Whether it be 5 years, 10 years, 15 years.

Give yourself time to reach that goal you set.
Allow yourself the setbacks you may face.

But always endure and move forward with faith, a positive attitude and your eyes on your target. Constant and unwavering.

***

The world will continuously cause us grievances and suffering.

At times, we will feel bogged down, depressed, apathetic, lethargic, and indifferent to the good around us.

But yesterday, hearing Dr. Young-Woo Kang's testimony, combined with the 10 Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership have led me to truly believe with all my heart:

"I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me." [Philippians 4:13]

Amen?
Amen.

***

We must continue to live our lives always seeking the best in people. Always seeking the good in this world. And endlessly pouring ourselves out to love others.

Because what is important, is not what we receive in exchange for our deeds.

Rather, what we experience through the virtues we seek to constantly live out.

Dr. Kang said, "I go now, and ask that you continue to be the silent saints of this world. And to be a nameless star. You see, not every star in the sky has a name for itself. But when you look up at the sky, it is all these stars combined together, that light up our nights with the beauty they create."

Let us seek the same.

And count your blessings while you're at it.