Relaxing Thanksgiving

Have you ever been in charge of hosting a Thanksgiving dinner? Would you call it relaxing? While that isn't my usual adjective to describe the responsibility, it truly reflected Thanksgiving this year.

It all started when I began asking guests to join us for the special day. It got to be very funny. While a few people accepted our invitation, I invited 20 people who declined since they had other plans. The thought that came to my mind was,"God must not want me to work too hard for the meal."

I carefully ordered a frozen turkey ahead of time since they are not readily available here in Japan. Then a whole cooked turkey became available so that I didn't even have to bake the one I bought. Again I thought, "God must not want me to work too hard this Thanksgiving."

Thanksgiving morning it all became clear. Our neighbor Jennifer is a young teacher at Christian Academy and quite new to Japan. Thursday morning before I began dinner preparations, I received a phonecall saying Jen injured her foot. Since I speak Japanese and have a car, I took her to the hospital where we learned she has a bone fracture. We arrived home at 1:15 and my guests arrived at 2:00. Fortunately I had made the pies the night before. However, I had 45 minutes to pull together the rest of the dinner.

God has been speaking to me about "having a Mary heart in a Martha world." Somehow the impossibility of pulling off a whole feast together that quickly took away my fretfulness. We ended up with seven people at our table and they all made their helpful contributions so I really didn't have that much to do. The meal came together easily and we had great fellowship. My brother Tim even did the dishes.

Russ had thoughtfully picked out verses for us to read as we shared blessings of the past year. I thank God for a relaxing Thanksgiving.

Flossie

Better than just saying "no"

During fall break I took aside a day (when Russ was at the care center) to be alone with God and review my life. It had gotten out of control with busyness being the great robber of spiritual vitality. One of the things I determined was that I should not accept more than one extra speaking engagement per month. Today I was asked to give the opening prayer in Japanese at our school outreach Christmas concert.

Part of me thought that one little prayer hardly constituted a speaking engagement, but it would require attending the concert twice–not something I planned to do. I could have easily have said, "Yes," but didn't. Yesterday I was reading from "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." (I have been greatly helped by that study!) The author says that just because we are able to do something doesn't constitute a call from God to do it. When we decline a request she suggested praying for the person God has chosen for that task. So that's what I've done. I've prayed that God would lead the planners to just the person God has in mind to give the opening prayer and that it will be a great blessing to all who listen, including God Himself.

I didn't just say "no" (though that in itself would have been a victory for someone like me who is so prone to over-extending myself.) I was reminded to pray for a specific part of this outreach, the opening prayer.

As we enter that time of year where almost everyone gets over-extended, I hope you'll find your prayer life enriched even when you have to say, "No."

Flossie

A Taste of Quiet

For the last two months our household has been a buzz of activity. Now we're experiencing a taste of quiet. Saturday Rachel went back home to Oregon after seven weeks with us. Monday my father returned to Indiana. This coming Thursday Christie plans to fly to Colorado. Right now Christie is getting in a quick visit to Karuizawa, her birthplace, just before leaving Japan. That leaves just Russ and me here at home tonight.

It's not totally quiet. Russ is typing on the other computer one key at a time with plenty of breathing time between pecks. His persistence amazes me. I so admire that guy.

This taste of quiet...I can't say it's my favorite flavor of life, but it's a good one. Russ and I will miss Rachel's and Dad's happy chatter and Christie's flying fingers. On the other hand, we are grateful that we live in a day that we can still communicate easily with loved ones many miles away.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, it's easy to think of many ways we've been blessed. I've known fatigue, discouragement, and other disagreeable states the last few weeks, but God has been faithful and my joy has returned. With the sad thought of Christie leaving soon, I'm depending on God to help my mother's heart let her go and simultaneously keep her close in my heart.

God is good.
Flossie

God's Gracious Provision

Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Elated. These all describe my life the last few months. I'm sorry about the long silence. I just haven't have the energy to write.

I won't list all the activities of recent weeks. It is ironic that just after I finished a Bible study on worry and spending time with Jesus, I turned right around and did the opposite. I worried when I should have taken my concerns to God. It's not that I didn't pray. I just didn't transfer the weight of my burdens to God's outstretched arms. I left little time in my schedule for quiet reflection and rest, replacing every free moment with activity. These are not good strategies.

Nevertheless, God was and is merciful. Zech. 4:6 kept running through my mind, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty." I ran out of might and power and found His Spirit ready to give me strength again.

In the midst of this difficult time God gave us wonderful gifts. We have enjoyed having Christie home. Her colorful personality enriches our lives. My 85-year-old father has been amazing traipsing around Tokyo as if he were much younger. He never ceases to brighten our days. Rachel, our 19-year-old house guest is always ready to lend a hand and share what God is teaching her.

I must tell you an absolutely amazing thing that God did. We had a very large financial emergency come up. Russ and I strongly believed we needed to proceed without hesitation in spite of the large price tag even though it meant using funds carefully set aside for our retirement. God spoke to the heart of a 70-year-old Japanese lady who has never met us (and who doesn't have a lot of money to spare) to give us 300,000 yen as a personal gift. This is equivalent to about $3300 (depending on the exchange rate). She heard very briefly about us from another missionary who mentioned us in passing. She followed God's prompting and gave them the money to give to us. I am still stunned. It covers the need. Please take a moment to ask God to bless that generous woman and to thank God with us for His loving care for us.

We are blessed to be a blessing,
Flossie

Family visiting

It's been great to have our daughter Christie with us for two months and my father visiting Japan for a month.

Family visiting