Chapter 35
THINK ON THESE THINGS
Matsuida is much lower in elevation than mountaintop
Karuizawa and about 7 decrees Fahrenheit warmer. It’s muggy hot in the summer, but the winters are less harsh
than Karuizawa with much less snow and with more sunshine in the winter. On
many a clear winter day in Matsuida, I’ve gazed west to see the high Karuizawa
area socked in with thick clouds that are dumping snow on the shivering
inhabitants. On such days, I particularly rejoice to be planted
in Matsuida. Karuizawa clouds, snow, extreme cold and shaded streets tended to
make me gloomy. I rejoice to trade that for life in Matsuida, ordained by my
Creator.
Trees line both sides of many streets in Karuizawa to provide
cool shade in the summer, but they block out sun in the winter. One late winter
morning in Karuizawa, the sun came out brightly after a snow. So I headed out
from Christian Center walking to the post office with no umbrella because
the skies were clear. But snow melting on tree
branches over the street was like rain falling. I got plenty
wet in that cold shower. Trees all around me blocked the view. But I like to see forever, like I did living in Oklahoma.
From the area of my house in Matsuida, the steep wide range
of Mount Myogi about 2 miles away (at the closest point) is lovely. To the
right of it, I have a lovely view of the live volcano (Mount Asama) snow white
about half the year, smoke curling up from the crater much of the time. I live
in the edge of the Kanto Plain, on fairly level
terrain (apart from, but close to those mountains) with a fantastic
view of mountains to the west.
A few years from now (1978), I will hike the 4-hour climb
to the top of Mt. Asama with some missionary kids and peer down into the
glowing crater with the smoke and stinking sulfur smell in my face. It will be
a great adventure, but once in a lifetime was enough for me. Since 1974, I’ve enjoyed hiking much in lovely mountains in many areas
of Japan. But the older I get, the less I do that (for
some unknown reason).
Populated areas of Japan are more crowded and compact than
in the U.S. From my Matsuida house, I can easily walk to the post
office, bank, grocery stores and the print shop (and 1
or 2 other business places I frequent). The farthest of those places is less
than half a mile away. Also, I regularly walk (or
bicycle) to all these places on fairly level terrain. Many people in
Japan live in steep terrain, and if they walk anywhere to and from their house,
it is mountain climbing. The older I get, daily walking or riding my bicycle on
level terrain becomes sweeter.
Walking and bicycling around town on narrow quiet back
streets, I greet others who are traveling in like manner, especially kids going to and from school. Elementary school kids are always walking, not entombed in a large yellow school bus.
Sometimes they flock around me to chat. Junior high and high school kids are
either walking or riding bicycles. They often greet me and sometimes chat
briefly. There is ever so much more warm and personal contact with the human
race around me, than there would be if I were always zooming down the street
entombed inside a fast moving motor vehicle. O, my Lord has given me an ever so rich life. Simple is Best! Believe it and practice it as Our
Lord leads you personally.
And little quiet West Matsuida train station is only a
7-minute level walk away. I walk there often to board a train. Presently
I own a utility mini-van and drive it locally, but travel long distances
by train. If the Lord tarries and lets me live, if I choose to give up driving
in my old age, and if I’m still able to make that 7-minute walk, I can board a
train 400 (plus) yards from my house to travel anywhere in the world,
leaving the driving and piloting to younger souls.
Each night that I pillow my head on my
pallet on the straw mat floor in my Matsuida house, my head is about 7 steps
away (in a straight horizontal line on God’s earth) from the place that I
pillowed it the night of the first day I arrived in this town, not
knowing the name of the town and not knowing one soul in this town. “He lead-eth
me, O blessed thought! O words with heav’n-ly comfort fraught!” Amen and Amen! Reader friend, our Gracious Lord greatly
desires to also lead you just as perfectly, if only
you will allow Him to do so.
Thank
Thee, my Precious Lord Jesus, for planting me in the perfect place. I worship
Thee for Thy Perfect Way.
With a single eye, in mid-March 1975 I arrived in
cold Karuizawa (amidst a blizzard of snow). My one desire was to study
my Holy Bible and the Japanese language intensely
day and night. Thank God I was able to accomplish that. I thank God for the many
days of fasting, for several cold nights of prayer in that cave atop Mt. Hanare with the mice and bats. And
I thank God even more that it came to pass.
Leaving the sinful military environment at Iwakuni, I
looked forward to start daily associating with missionaries and other
Christians in Karuizawa. Many of the fellow believers were a rich blessing
and a great help to me, giving offerings, food, and other substance to
poor me. I’m most thankful for them and their much
goodness to me. But I didn’t expect the degree
of unpleasant things I experienced from Christians.
Missionaries, Japanese pastors and Christians tried to make
me into their lackey, being desirous to put me into servitude unto them, tho I
knew each time that their desires were not God’s Will for my life (no matter
how many “good” reasons they gave me attempting to entice me to become their servant).
“Whose authority are you under?” I was under The Authority
of my Lord God Almighty. But the askers didn’t like
that answer.
“Where will you go to do missionary work?” “What kind of
work will you do?” “What does the Lord have in store for you?” I did not yet
know those answers. But the askers almost
demanded an answer of me, like I was duty-bound to give them an answer.
A few missionaries acted offended and repulsed by me not
raising support, but rather simply stepping out on faith, as my Lord clearly led me to do. I perceive that our Lord pricked their consciences with my
act of faith. To God be the Glory!
A few married missionary men more or less decreed to me
that I couldn’t serve God in Japan as a single male
missionary. “Get married or else,” was more or less their attitude toward me.
Being highly mobile as a single person, I’ve been able
to aid and assist several friends in times of injury, sickness,
hospitalization, and death (of which I’ve written). Also
I was available to house sit for weeks and keep children in their own home.
I praise God for each Scripture that teaches us how that
God ordained for man and woman to come together in marriage and teaches that Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth
favor of the Lord.” (Proverbs
18:22) But the several preachers, that have decreed to
me that such is God’s Will for me, appear to have no regard for the following
Scripture. “But I would have you
without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to
the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the
things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.” (I Corinthians 7:32-33)
And at age 30, several single missionary ladies and
single Japanese Christian ladies around me (close to my age) (who desired
matrimony) went far, far beyond the bounds of proper etiquette
in their efforts to make me their bridegroom.
Thus far (43 years) in my life in Japan, my language school
time in Karuizawa has been the most unpleasant period
of time, due to such things that I briefly capped in the previous five
paragraphs. That is most regrettable. Daily interaction with Christians
should be most pleasant and blessed. Each of us
Christians are duty-bound to God to strive to make
that a reality.
The glorious periods of time I’ve
thus far spent ministering on Guam tremendously helped overcome the negative effects of
these unpleasant things in Japan. The last Guam trip greatly helped me
recuperate from the fierce spiritual battle in Matsuida. And
it was so blessed that my Lord had a house waiting for me in Matsuida when I
returned from Guam at the end of July 1978.
In 1977, I first planned to head west
from Karuizawa to Koumi
Train Line area to settle down there. That wasn’t
God’s Will, so He used persistent Brother Dick to make me run in the opposite
direction. Since then, a quite long section of that sleepy rural Koumi Train Line area has exploded with new shopping
centers and such, changing it into a bustling place I would not care to reside in.
Meanwhile, Matsuida has died down and
gotten quieter, making it ever so suitable for me in my old age. It is just
the right distance from Tokyo to go there and back in one day, when I have
business in Tokyo. Also, it’s just the right
distance for going to either of the Tokyo airports on the same day of my flight
out of Tokyo (when I travel abroad). Truly Thy Way
is Perfect, my Precious Lord Jesus.
Upon leaving Iwakuni for Karuizawa, I
foresaw me settling down for 2 peaceful years in
Karuizawa in language study, never traveling far from there, and then
immediately moving into a rental house in the town of God’s choosing. I never
envisioned anything like my stay in Bob and Sachiko’s house on Yokota AF Base
and the trip to the States. I never envisioned the blessed trips to Guam and on
to Ponape and Truk, preaching at Lukop Church to the faithful people and the
faithful cur dog that walked up jungle trails to the church.
“Missionary boy, it certainly turned out much differently than you
expected.”
It certainly did. Think on the many rich Spiritual
blessings I experienced from the time I left Iwakuni in mid-March 1975 till I rented the house in Matsuida on 1 August 1978.
Tho I have written of less than half of
my threescore and ten years, I need a break from
writing and you need a break from the boredom of reading. As our Lord leads
you, please tell others about this book and encourage them to read it. I
pray for my Lord to now help me get this book into
paperback. When that materializes, I plan to announce it under this book’s
title on the title page of my books on this web site.
“Freely give.” All my books are free. I also pay
the shipping to send them to you. (I humbly accept donations with thanksgiving,
but they aren’t necessary.) Please start thinking
about whom you would give this book to (in paperback) and ask for that many
copies when they become available, Lord willing. I especially want young souls
between 13 and 30 years of age to read what my Creator God has done with my
life, as they are at a “formative age”.
“And they just might find your Snaky
story and flying adventures to be exciting reading.”
‘I hope so. I also pray for our Lord to
lead Christian parents to select portions of my life’s story to read aloud to
their small children who are not yet at that reading level.’
Please read my newsletters, sermons and
books. Creature Versus Creator and A Little Revival are presently
available in paperback. If you want my 1 page monthly
newsletters on paper sent to you thru the post office, just say so. Please
intercede in prayer for the many lost and dying Japanese souls to whom I daily
hold forth the words of life.
For
He is faithful that promised
At the start of my missionary journey of
a life of faith depending on my Lord’s Promise to supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, I was much
more apprehensive and uneasy than was pleasing to God. Still, in His Great
Mercy to me He has supplied most abundantly. Thank you for being a part
of that supply.
Each morning, I strive to remember to earnestly pray ‘give us this day our daily bread’. And my Father in Heaven speaks to souls of His Divine Choosing
to send me an offering. Thank you for listening to His Voice and giving unto
me. Thank you for feeding me and providing the various means
by which I travel and minister in Japan, the U.S., and occasionally other
nations. Thank you for each kind word spoken or written to me. Thank you
for each kind deed you have done unto me. Sweet Jesus, please richly and abundantly bless each
missionary helper and repay them many fold.
I pray that Your Lord will use my
example of “stepping out on faith” to encourage you to do likewise if or when
God thus leads you. Never fear to trust Our Lord. Never fear to “follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth.” (Revelation
14:4) “Wherever He Leads, I’ll go…” Sing it from the heart and always follow Him.
Our Father which art in Heaven, I
heartily thank Thee for making me the most blessed human creature on earth. On Thy
Throne on High, Thou constantly doest hear Christian believers thru out the
world grumbling and complaining. Seldom does one heartily confess to be the most blessed person on earth. Please save
us all from our sinful grumbling and complaining. Please create within each
human on earth a heart that will heartily confess to being the most blessed
soul on earth, while giving Thee the Glory for making him or her into such a
soul. Amen and AMEN.