He Conquered!

I really like Christmas.  I love the lights, decorations, tree, and presents.  I love the music which can be heard randomly throughout the year at my house. ( Mom is unconventional. ) I rarely get the same thrill from Easter.  Why not?  Easter is the real base of my faith.  Jesus arose!  HE CONQUERED DEATH!  That is awesome.  I feel like I should be breaking out flashing lights, and decorations and buying presents.  This is a time to celebrate big time.  So why is all this missing in my experience?  I do not want to cheapen Easter to commercialism, but I want to celebrate with vigor this time of life conquering death.  How do I do that? 

Thinking about this celebration, I first need to prepare my heart by remembering what the cross means and how much was sacrificed for me in that event.  I think thoughtful introspection during Holy Week would serve me well.  Thinking of the events of that first Holy Week would certainly propel me to Easter in the right frame of mind.  Only after remembering the defeated sense of Good Friday, and the hopelessness of Holy Saturday can I experience the overwhelming celebration of the Risen Jesus.

I would then want to shout it from the roof tops.  I can celebrate Easter by sharing Jesus with a hurting broken world.  For you see, only Jesus can put the broken world back together.  He does it well, completely, and in His time.  Not in mine.  This year I got to spend Easter afternoon at church hosting a few of my disabled friends.  We danced a Gospel hula number that helped us see Jesus.  Our hearts were stirred because Jesus had His fingers in our hearts.  I pray the message of the Risen Jesus will ring in their hearts which have experienced so much pain and hurt in their lifetime. The hopelessness of this world for them can be replaced with the hope found in the Risen Jesus.  Hallelujah!  Jesus conquered death!  He conquered sin!  He conquered disability!

Be A Hero For Jesus

Our church is full of young families; full of young families with young children.  I enjoy watching the children play.  I can see their minds working all out, never, ever stopping.  They want to learn everything now!  Their parents are running around trying to catch up with them; trying to protect them.  The more dangerous things like stairs act as magnets drawing them to try it.  These children watch the adults all the time to learn.  In childish minds there is no thought, “I can’t do it.”  My body is made so I can spin around endlessly without getting dizzy.  It is a part of my unique design.  It baffles these young ones who try and try, only to become dizzy and fall down.  This makes me a kind of hero. 

I am reminded that I am being watched.  What exactly do I want to communicate?  I think it might be more important to model useful things.  Now what could I model?  I could model joyfulness, even in tough circumstances.  I could model kindness.  I could model helpfulness.  I could model obedience.  I could model the love of Jesus.  I can show them a person praising God with abandon.  I cannot talk to them, and I am different, but I can point them to Jesus.  I can accept them as they are, and love them.  Each one unique, but each of us made in the image of God.  Wow!  That should keep me busy for a while!

Obedience

Seeing a good friend flat in bed in the hospital is not fun.  When that friend is like family it is worse.  Recently I visited an elderly friend who was in such a state.  I was sad to see pain and fear and sadness in her eyes.  I am definitely not a fan of hospitals.  I was not eager to go, but I did it because God told me it was right.  I was not sure what to do. When we got there, I knew just what to do.  I needed to hold her hand in mine.  I needed to pray for her.  I needed to remind her I loved her.  So that is what I did.  I held her hand over and over.  I tried to not do silly things that would embarrass her.  I prayed.  It was not comfortable for me, but then she was not in a comfortable place, either. I needed to rise above myself and show her love.  It was My God given job.  While I still do not like hospitals, if God sends me to call again I will go because it is not about my comfort.  It is all about being obedient under all circumstances.  Even in hard ones.

Brazil: Doing Kingdom Work

This summer we went to Sao Paulo, Brazil with a short term team from Japan.  In Brazil we joined a team from the States to work helping a relatively new church serve their neighborhood and paint the inside of the church.  We did not do anything extraordinary.  We painted, moved furniture, and cleaned.  It was mundane work that did not require great language skills. One member of the Japan team and I knew Portuguese.  Since I know it but cannot speak much it took great faith for our team.  There were times we just quietly did the task assigned to us.  We often worked alongside Brazilian believers and accomplished the day’s task.  Words were few, but smiles and hugs were abundant.  We demonstrated the body of Christ functioning together to show Jesus to the world.  We got hot, tired, and dirty. 

The Brazilian Christians took care of us.  We made more work for them in many ways.  The drove us to our destinations.  They gave up their beds for us.  They cooked great food to nourish us.  They tried to communicate with us.  They shared their music, and even let me participate.  They shared the love of Jesus with us. 

We went to Brazil as strangers to these people and left as family.  In their eyes we saw they resembled our Heavenly Father.  We felt the heat of their passion for Jesus, and it sparked new flames of our own passion. We left Brazil feeling we had experiences a small preview of heaven.  It sharpened our longing for the day when we will all stand before Jesus and sing praise to the King.  I am sure some of that music will be Brazilian.  I sure hope so. 

Until that day we will be faithful to do Kingdom work here.  Some in Brazil, some in the States, some in Japan.  Because the real point is to be obedient to the task.  So I am back in Japan doing my work for Jesus. Our friends in Brazil are doing their work for Jesus.  Our friends in the States are doing their work for Jesus.  Together we are doing kingdom work and looking for the day we will join together before the King and offer our praises too Him.  

Jeffrey Goes to the Dentist

   

Sitting in the dentist chair may not seem too tough, but for me it has been huge task. First there is the orchestra of noise emanating from that one room.  There are people I do not know looking at me, evaluating me, deciding what label to stick on me.  Then there is a great set of strange and daunting instruments that can be used in who knows what torture inside your own mouth. It is safe to say the dentist office is not in the top 100 places I most want to visit. 

 

However, over the last couple months I have been trotting in on regular basis.  My first strategy was, “Never, ever open your mouth.”  That was not too workable it seems.  This dentist office worked hard to be kind and patient.  They took small steps to help me succeed.  I was able to have a relative stranger completely clean my teeth.  I was able to have pictures taken.  Then came drilling day.  I was really scared.  The nice girls who had helped me were busy elsewhere.  The dentist came right away.  I hated it!  I needed to communicate, so I did. I told them loudly and clearly in Japanese I was scared.  They understood, but did not stop . Clearly reinforcements were needed.  I sat up, folded my hands and called on Jesus.  My parents joined in.  Strangely, the dentist did not change, nor did the office, but I was able lay back and open my mouth, knowing God was in control of that dentist.  This is the God who has my name written on His palm.  Success.  However, it was not so much my success as the Hand of God holding me through the storm.  Although it is hard, it is not impossible.  I was even able to laugh through the storm last time I went.  It was God tickling me. 

 

I might add that the pain was not a problem. The problem was strange sensations from people I did not know working in my mouth.  I have come to realize autistic people to not experience incoming sensations as other people do.  In my case it is magnified maybe at least 100 fold.  It is hard to overcome this.  I need help from my parents and more important, my heavenly Father.  I will not give up.  I will keep moving ahead, and holding God’s hand.  My name is written on that hand.  I can trust Him.

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Adventure - Brazil

Ahhh!  Brazil!  I could never have imagined all the delights of this trip.  It was not an easy trip.  30 hours in transit can be tough, and it was.  Sleep often escapes me in the excitement of inflight movies and food and so much anticipation.  I was grateful for a bed and good rest on arrival. 

Then the fun began.  We were able to see old friends.  We made new friends.  We spoke the words God gave us.  We ministered as a unit, each of us with our part.  We saw lives touched because God was working.  We were busy, but we were busy doing Kingdom business.  It was so energizing. 

I have been asked about highlights.  Oh, how can I pick!  Meeting a new translator who was a kindred spirit, speaking to packed churches, sharing fellowship with new friends, standing with the mighty men from the summer team.  I cannot name them all.  But the all-out highlight was God working through three ordinary people to change hearts. That was worth any inconvenience of travel, and lack of sleep.  I would go again and again if God calls me. 

When I was baptized I stated God had called me to go into all the world and preach.  Some people laughed at that, but it is starting.  I believe God is calling me to speak for those who cannot speak, where ever that is.  I must go and help show how God is not limited by human weakness.  I am weak, yes, but God is exceedingly strong, so no problem. 

Wonder where the next adventure will take us.

 

On Being Sick

The other day I was sick.  I am generally healthy, but this crept up on me, making me feel a bit out of sorts at first.  As dinner approached I assumed I was just hungry.  Then the vomiting began.  I have only vomited once or twice my whole life, so this continuous event really got me upset.  I was mad at my parents for not letting me eat.  I was mad at my body for not letting me eat.  I hated the helplessness of my plight.  My parents worked hard for hours to help me.  I wanted to eat, sleep, and have my normal routine.  How frustrated I was. 

My dad finally got some prayer going through Facebook.  My sister called, and I felt a little better.  I could sense my body relaxing.  The vomiting was letting up.  I got up and danced for joy.  Then I smiled at my tired parents, and I went to bed.   As sleep diffused through my body, I felt peace and joy.  I knew tomorrow would be better.

 

What did I learn?  Prayer does change events in our lives.  Parents are there for me, even when I am so grumpy.  I am loved, and can rejoice even when I do not feel well.  I must also be more thankful for my health.  I praise God I only rarely sick.