Wise Words from Jeannie

We appreciate everyone's concern for our well being. Yesterday I asked the Lord to in His mercy cause the temperature to rise and the radiation level to drop. Though there is a chance of snow tonight, we had a good hour of beautiful warm sunshine today. That was a huge blessing! The radiation level found in Tokyo water has gone down well below the safe mark. Thank you Lord!

Many foreigners have left Japan in the last two weeks. Some of our friends here have people begging them to leave Japan. We are thankful that our mission, friends, and family have not put that kind of pressure on us. We are counting the cost and believe that until God leads us differently we should stay here. We certainly have no desire to be foolish. We do want to listen carefully to God's leading. He is the only one who knows all the details including what is yet to come! What a privilege it is to rest in His all-knowing leadership.

We live just three kilometers from my brother Tim who is also a missionary here in Japan. I asked my sister-in-law if I could share her thoughts in my blog today. I think she's "spot on" as my Australian friends say.

I have slowly been developing my own Biblical perspective on the fight or flight tension. I've come up with the decision that it is so important for each one to stay very close to God to hear what He is saying to him/her individually. God may give one command to one and a different command to another.

In the Bible, Jacob's family left Israel for Egypt in the famine of Joseph's day, Paul fled from Damacus in a basket, and Jesus himself was carried out of Israel to Egypt by Mary and Joseph. On the other hand, Paul stayed in the Philippian jail rather than running away at the time of the earthquake and Jesus stayed and endured the cross to the finish.

This whole crisis is an exercise in listening carefully to what God is saying to me personally. I love John 21 when Peter was trying to get Jesus to give a cookie cutter response regarding the future of John and the other disciples. Jesus replies to Peter, "If I want him (John) to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."