Taking the Long View

(Post written on paper March 26)

I'm sitting in the waiting room of the hospital where I was born exactly 57 years ago today. (It's just a routine exam–no worries.) I have time to think back on what that day might have been like for my mother.

Though the hospital itself has been completely rebuilt, the nearby shopping street is amazingly familiar. Obviously I don't remember my birth, but our family frequently came here to Ogikubo from the 1950s onward. The streets are still only the width of a city bus. The merchants still sell sweet bean and pounded rice treats. The launderer still irons shirts by the large picture window. And bicycles still jostle with pedestrians coveting a path to the train station.

What's different is that now walkers are listening to their iPods or messaging on their smart phones. I'm sure when I was born, my mom never imagined such technology or that I'd be here in Japan in my 31st year as a missionary.

What has kept us here when in 1986 we were told our deaf daughter needed special education, when in 2006 Russ had his massive stroke, when on March 11, 2011 the earth shook violently causing tsunamis and radiation leaks, and when people remain resistant to the gospel despite our efforts to share the good news? It comes down to taking the long view.

Our lives on earth are so short. If I focus on my immediate comfort, safety, or personal satisfaction, I miss out on the peace God offers when I just do the next right thing.

Sometimes the next right thing is sticking with it when the going gets rough. Other times it's leaving my comfort zone and boldly trying new things.

Suffering has many purposes such as drawing me closer to God, using my situation to encourage others, or redirecting us. When I focus on my present pain...well, it's awful. But when I recognize God's soveregnty in my life, I can rest knowing that all that really matters is the last chapter of my life–eternity.  The long view reveals beauty that a snapshot view misses.

So this day I choose to enjoy the pleasures and remember that the pain is temporary–part of God's great design to prepare me for eternity.

One Year Later--March 11, 2012

It's been one year since the earthquake/tsunami/radiation disasters rocked our beloved Japan.

Are we encouraged? Yes. Japanese churches are working together in unprecedented ways and making an impact on their communities. People are coming to Christ. Here's a short article telling what happened after the Franklin Graham Crusade last week. I've heard from several missionaries who are working up in the hardest-hit areas that people have said that many came to help them initially, but it's the Christians who keep coming.

At the same time fear and hopelessness seems to be escalating. I have friends who have moved from place to place trying to find a home where they feel safe. The newspapers published the grim forecast that there is a 70% chance of a major earthquake in Tokyo within the next four years. I just learned that another friend's mother committed suicide in December. They didn't see it coming at all. I was shocked to hear that over 50 people committed suicide within our suburb of only 115,000 people in 2011. 

Please pray that we'll be lights in the darkness. We love these dear people. We will stay here until God leads us away. We live in hope and want to faithfully share that with others.

Embracing Change

I like my routines. A fresh cup of tea with my hearty breakfast daily. Using Saturdays to get things prepared for the week ahead (Russ' medicines distributed, menus planned, groceries purchased, bank statements settled, and bread and yogurt made). And one of my all-time favorites...reading before I go to bed at night so that I'm learning, being entertained, and making it easier to sleep all in one. (Except when I was reading that book on organization. That totally kept me from sleeping as all those great ideas bounced through my brain.)

Sarah Young in Jesus Calling (Feb. 17 reading) says that, "It is easy to make an idol of routine, finding security within the boundaries you build around your life...When you cling to old ways and sameness, you resist My [God's] work within you."

Is. 43:19 reminds us that God is doing a new thing! 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds me that He's making me into a new creation. Here in Tokyo we're making changes in the office where I serve supporting homeschoolers. There may be some loneliness with our staffing reduced to help balance our budget, but I'm excited that when God directs, He equips. Ideas for improving our services are flowing easily. I really think we will support missionaries in outlying areas of Japan better because we're willing to give up some comfortable routines in exchange for new ways of doing things.

Routine and sameness aren't intrinsically bad. I just need to hold everything in an open hand. You too? Is there something you love you need to unlock your grasp on and offer it to Jesus for a makeover?

Dr. Seuss' birthday

Today, March 2, is Dr. Seuss' birthday. It just seemed fitting this morning to make green eggs and ham for breakfast. I like to prepare real food and not use artificial coloring so I made the eggs with spinach and they turned the perfect shade of green. I covered the ham with kiwi so they looked green too. Just in case Russ missed it, I made a little Cat-in-the-Hat hat to decorate the plate. It all tasted great and was fun too.