Conductors

It feels good to be loved. This week has been very busy and hectic, for in the cave, our under-ground apartment complex, we just added another 15 GoTokyo interns (high school age). This is a great addition, for we will be able to minister to more people here in Tokyo! But this also causes changes and additional confusion. We are in the process of training them - taking them to the mission sites, showing the train lines, and helping them figure our the winding streets of Shibuya, all while they are adjusting from being away from home, in a different time zone. Today, I was the only guy on my team, so after we arrived at our mission site in Tachikawa, I let the girls have their “girl time,” while I just walked around and inside the station.

I went to my favorite super market - it is hard to find, stuck in the basement of a building outside the south exit. They have amazing prices on everything, including chips, bread, sodas, and their best item, meat. I had bought my sodas, bread, and snacks from this store, but I could not buy meat, for Tachikawa is 45 minutes away from Shibuya (on a good day). As I saw a wonderful deal on meat, I flagged down a worker in the store, and through english and a spectacular display of charades to see if I could freeze the meat and come back later, he took me to an ice machine and said “free.” I had nothing to put ice in, but he changed that. After speaking to an employee, a nylon green freezer bad was brought out to me. The perfect solution to get my meat home safety. Even though he could not speak a word of English, even though I was (and have been) the only foreigner shopping in the store, he went out of his way to help me. I felt so humbled and loved by this.

My adventure continued to the gourmet food court of Tachikawa station. It is one of the most beautiful culinary sights I have seen in my entire life. Lines of perfectly lit food stands with every kind of Japanese food and more. I ended up at a cheese stand, were 3 employees greeted me and offered me samples they were handing out. As I looked over the selection, I began to name of cheeses I had previously had, and in simple English, tell them of Christmas traditions and my favorite kinds. I even told them I could not buy anything they had, they still talked to me and offered me samples of the different foods they possessed. Even though I was only able to share such a small part of my life with them, they made me feel loved beyond measure. I had a handful of other experiences such as these while I walked around, seeing what other Japanese would make true eye contact with me.

The Japanese, though having a cold and hard exterior, are the most warm and beautiful people once you are able to get inside. They have so much love to give. So much love, I have been blown away and been blesses beyond measure. I was humbled and thankful that God would let me come and serve people such as these.

Today was a reminder from God. Our call as Christians is to love people. Countless verses in the Bible speak of love - They will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another, abide in faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love, love your neighbor as yourself... It is a dominant theme of the Bible. While I am here, in Japan, God has called me to love people. But today, God used unbelievers to love me. And it felt so wonderful to be loved. It truly moved my emotions. Love is powerful. But the love of God is even greater. These people, who loved on me, were only loving in part. For it is only through the love of God that true love can be made whole. This is the love instilled into our very being - the love which will radiate from us, if we are willing.

Being loved today moved my emotions. But being love to the people around us - it moves people’s lives. May we be conductors of His love.