“Real World” – Reflecting the Light of Jesus!
Please allow me to introduce you to my Japanese “father”!
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1: 6-9
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1: 6-9
Carl & Takashi in 2008 while in Japan.
When we read in John 1 about John the Baptist we see that he was sent to “bear witness” of the “Light” and that the “Light” was Jesus. The Bible is clear that, just as John was called to do this, believers today are also called to bear witness of the Light of the Lord.
Recently I was thinking about something that happened almost 35 years ago. It was a moment that had a big impact on me even though I was not a Christian at the time. When I became a Christian though, it made me realize how we can lose sight of what’s important in life.
When my wife and I started dating I wanted to meet her parents. Remember, my wife, Masami, is Japanese and I was in Japan at the time. Masami lived with her parents in Mitaka, Japan. After we had dated for a short time we decided that we were serious. So, the next step was for me to meet the parents! Masami made all of the arrangements and a date was set for me to join them for dinner.
To be totally honest, the night of the dinner I walked into her apartment in fear and trepidation. I honestly looked for all of the exits as I made my way in. You’ve got to understand that my experience with the fathers of Japanese women who brought American men home to meet the future in-laws wasn’t good. The fathers of the Japanese girls were usually not very happy to see a “gaijin” or “foreigner” dating, or especially marrying, their daughter.
Sadly, in the majority of the marriages that I saw between an American man and a Japanese lady the fathers disowned their daughters. The mothers would stay in touch with the daughters and over time, usually after the first child was born, the relationship would be restored with the parents.
That was the reason I was nervous the night of the dinner. I was so afraid that he would get angry and throw me out of his home and I sure didn’t want that to happen, so I was looking where I could run!
On a side note, I was so nervous that I forgot that I would have to take my shoes off at their home. I wore a pair of socks that had a small hole in one, so I tried to tuck it up under my toes hoping it wouldn’t be seen. It didn’t work. The next time that I saw Masami she had a brand new pair of socks for me!
Anyway, the night went very well. Takashi, my now father-in-law, was very gracious and kind to me. As the night was wrapping up I asked him if I could come to work for him on my days off. He was a little surprised by that. He had a small plumbing company and did mostly manual labor. I’m guessing that he thought because I was an air traffic controller and sat behind a radar screen all day that I didn’t want to do manual labor.
I explained to him that I grew up doing hard work. In high school I did farm work. Anything from putting up hay and sheering sheep to cutting down tiny cedar trees over the hills of Virginia with pruning sheers so they would get caught up in the hay combine. That, by the way, was the worst job I ever had and I only got paid $2.00 an hour. At the end of the day I couldn’t even stand straight!
He said OK, so I started going to work with him on occasion. One time that I went with him they were working on a huge shopping center. We got there and he introduced me to the rest of his peers as “watashi no muskou” or “this is my son”, NOT “son-in-law”!
I’ve gotta’ tell you, that blew me out of the water. In a culture where he should have been embarrassed because I was a foreigner, and his peers would look down on him for his daughter marrying someone other than a Japanese, Takashi was introducing me, his son-in-law, as his SON! Man, that touched me. My own father disappeared after my parents divorced and I turned down his offer to come and live with him. But, Takashi accepted me as his son. That meant more to me than I could ever express in words.
Well, a short time after our son, Carl Jr., was born and the Air Force moved us to the Azores. There are some stories in “Reasons for Hope In the Mosaic of Your Life” from our time there and how Masami received the Lord while we lived there.
Fast forward to Salt Lake City, Utah where I received the Lord. Takashi came to visit us one summer. He brought one of his workers and we built a Japanese Koi pond in our backyard. While there he noticed things were different. When I was with him in Japan, we were drinking buddies. Well, now I didn’t drink with him.
One night as we sat around the table having dinner he said to me, “You’re different. Why don’t you drink now?”
As I thought about that question I tried to think how to answer it without causing offense to him and without compromising my Lord. I believe that God brought back the memory of how my father-in-law, while not yet a Christian, had actually behaved the way that we should act. In a way, he had “reflected” Christ-like love to me, so I shared the following with him.
I said to him. “I am a Christian now so I don’t drink anymore.” He didn’t understand so I continued, “Remember in Japan when you let me come and work for you on my days off? You introduced me to your peers as your “son”, not your “son-in-law”. You adopted me into your family as your “son”! That meant a lot to me. My own father disappeared after my parents divorced, but you, who should have been embarrassed by me, accepted me. Well, Jesus did the same thing for me. He adopted me into His family and adopted me as His child. So now, the same way that I try never to do anything to bring disrespect to you, I don’t want to disrespect my heavenly father and when I drink, I could do something that would disrespect Him.”
He accepted that. A few years later, he also received Christ as his Savior.
The reason I started thinking of this incident was because a couple of years ago Takashi went into the hospital twice within a 10 day period to have brain surgery. While he was in the hospital, we said our good-byes. He was in such bad shape we believed the Lord was going to take him home.
During this time God did amazing things in our family. My wife, her sister and our daughter rallied around Takashi so he was never alone in the hospital. The nurses, who came in and cared for him, constantly commented on the love that they could feel in his room. At one point, a decision on whether to sign DNR (do not resuscitate) papers had to be made. Takashi wanted to go home to be with the Lord rather than live on a machine. That was a tough time.
The day that we brought Takashi home from the hospital, we still thought he wouldn’t make it. He had to wear a diaper and could barely move. It was a really a challenge. I’ll never forget the day after he came home when my wife and mother and law went to the store and left me in charge. He was taking a nap and they wouldn’t be gone long.
Well, he awoke and needed to be cleaned up. I know that it had to be hard for him as I cleaned him, changed his diaper and then cleaned up the room. His mind was intact, but his body was failing. After it was all done I put him in his wheelchair, wrapped him up in a blanket and sat with him as he watched Japanese TV.
At one point, he looked over at me and, unable to speak, reached over and patted my leg. He couldn’t speak, but in that one simple gesture, he melted my heart. I didn’t cry in front of him, but every time I think of that moment my eyes fill with tears.
The medical emergency with Takashi was listed on our Prayer Page and people prayed. We could feel it and thank you for your prayers.
Today, Takashi is walking, feeding himself and doing everything that he did before the water on the brain, except speaking. He still struggles with his speech. He’s improving though. And, the amazing thing is that he’s in such good spirits about it. He will struggle for five minutes to get Masami to understand a word. It’s like watching somebody play charades. She will guess incorrectly and it’s so far from what he’s trying to say that they just start laughing. He keeps trying and finally she’ll get it and you can visibly see relief. He’s amazingly patient.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 3:18
Keep allowing the Lord to work through you, to transform you into what He wants. Remember, God is good, and that life is a gift and it will pass very quickly. Don’t take it for granted. Hug those who you love today, and share the truth with those who don’t know the Lord because everyone of us is going to spend eternity somewhere. None of us know when, but today could be the day when God calls us home. Praying we’re all ready! Stay bold.
When we read in John 1 about John the Baptist we see that he was sent to “bear witness” of the “Light” and that the “Light” was Jesus. The Bible is clear that, just as John was called to do this, believers today are also called to bear witness of the Light of the Lord.
Recently I was thinking about something that happened almost 35 years ago. It was a moment that had a big impact on me even though I was not a Christian at the time. When I became a Christian though, it made me realize how we can lose sight of what’s important in life.
When my wife and I started dating I wanted to meet her parents. Remember, my wife, Masami, is Japanese and I was in Japan at the time. Masami lived with her parents in Mitaka, Japan. After we had dated for a short time we decided that we were serious. So, the next step was for me to meet the parents! Masami made all of the arrangements and a date was set for me to join them for dinner.
To be totally honest, the night of the dinner I walked into her apartment in fear and trepidation. I honestly looked for all of the exits as I made my way in. You’ve got to understand that my experience with the fathers of Japanese women who brought American men home to meet the future in-laws wasn’t good. The fathers of the Japanese girls were usually not very happy to see a “gaijin” or “foreigner” dating, or especially marrying, their daughter.
Sadly, in the majority of the marriages that I saw between an American man and a Japanese lady the fathers disowned their daughters. The mothers would stay in touch with the daughters and over time, usually after the first child was born, the relationship would be restored with the parents.
That was the reason I was nervous the night of the dinner. I was so afraid that he would get angry and throw me out of his home and I sure didn’t want that to happen, so I was looking where I could run!
On a side note, I was so nervous that I forgot that I would have to take my shoes off at their home. I wore a pair of socks that had a small hole in one, so I tried to tuck it up under my toes hoping it wouldn’t be seen. It didn’t work. The next time that I saw Masami she had a brand new pair of socks for me!
Anyway, the night went very well. Takashi, my now father-in-law, was very gracious and kind to me. As the night was wrapping up I asked him if I could come to work for him on my days off. He was a little surprised by that. He had a small plumbing company and did mostly manual labor. I’m guessing that he thought because I was an air traffic controller and sat behind a radar screen all day that I didn’t want to do manual labor.
I explained to him that I grew up doing hard work. In high school I did farm work. Anything from putting up hay and sheering sheep to cutting down tiny cedar trees over the hills of Virginia with pruning sheers so they would get caught up in the hay combine. That, by the way, was the worst job I ever had and I only got paid $2.00 an hour. At the end of the day I couldn’t even stand straight!
He said OK, so I started going to work with him on occasion. One time that I went with him they were working on a huge shopping center. We got there and he introduced me to the rest of his peers as “watashi no muskou” or “this is my son”, NOT “son-in-law”!
I’ve gotta’ tell you, that blew me out of the water. In a culture where he should have been embarrassed because I was a foreigner, and his peers would look down on him for his daughter marrying someone other than a Japanese, Takashi was introducing me, his son-in-law, as his SON! Man, that touched me. My own father disappeared after my parents divorced and I turned down his offer to come and live with him. But, Takashi accepted me as his son. That meant more to me than I could ever express in words.
Well, a short time after our son, Carl Jr., was born and the Air Force moved us to the Azores. There are some stories in “Reasons for Hope In the Mosaic of Your Life” from our time there and how Masami received the Lord while we lived there.
Fast forward to Salt Lake City, Utah where I received the Lord. Takashi came to visit us one summer. He brought one of his workers and we built a Japanese Koi pond in our backyard. While there he noticed things were different. When I was with him in Japan, we were drinking buddies. Well, now I didn’t drink with him.
One night as we sat around the table having dinner he said to me, “You’re different. Why don’t you drink now?”
As I thought about that question I tried to think how to answer it without causing offense to him and without compromising my Lord. I believe that God brought back the memory of how my father-in-law, while not yet a Christian, had actually behaved the way that we should act. In a way, he had “reflected” Christ-like love to me, so I shared the following with him.
I said to him. “I am a Christian now so I don’t drink anymore.” He didn’t understand so I continued, “Remember in Japan when you let me come and work for you on my days off? You introduced me to your peers as your “son”, not your “son-in-law”. You adopted me into your family as your “son”! That meant a lot to me. My own father disappeared after my parents divorced, but you, who should have been embarrassed by me, accepted me. Well, Jesus did the same thing for me. He adopted me into His family and adopted me as His child. So now, the same way that I try never to do anything to bring disrespect to you, I don’t want to disrespect my heavenly father and when I drink, I could do something that would disrespect Him.”
He accepted that. A few years later, he also received Christ as his Savior.
The reason I started thinking of this incident was because a couple of years ago Takashi went into the hospital twice within a 10 day period to have brain surgery. While he was in the hospital, we said our good-byes. He was in such bad shape we believed the Lord was going to take him home.
During this time God did amazing things in our family. My wife, her sister and our daughter rallied around Takashi so he was never alone in the hospital. The nurses, who came in and cared for him, constantly commented on the love that they could feel in his room. At one point, a decision on whether to sign DNR (do not resuscitate) papers had to be made. Takashi wanted to go home to be with the Lord rather than live on a machine. That was a tough time.
The day that we brought Takashi home from the hospital, we still thought he wouldn’t make it. He had to wear a diaper and could barely move. It was a really a challenge. I’ll never forget the day after he came home when my wife and mother and law went to the store and left me in charge. He was taking a nap and they wouldn’t be gone long.
Well, he awoke and needed to be cleaned up. I know that it had to be hard for him as I cleaned him, changed his diaper and then cleaned up the room. His mind was intact, but his body was failing. After it was all done I put him in his wheelchair, wrapped him up in a blanket and sat with him as he watched Japanese TV.
At one point, he looked over at me and, unable to speak, reached over and patted my leg. He couldn’t speak, but in that one simple gesture, he melted my heart. I didn’t cry in front of him, but every time I think of that moment my eyes fill with tears.
The medical emergency with Takashi was listed on our Prayer Page and people prayed. We could feel it and thank you for your prayers.
Today, Takashi is walking, feeding himself and doing everything that he did before the water on the brain, except speaking. He still struggles with his speech. He’s improving though. And, the amazing thing is that he’s in such good spirits about it. He will struggle for five minutes to get Masami to understand a word. It’s like watching somebody play charades. She will guess incorrectly and it’s so far from what he’s trying to say that they just start laughing. He keeps trying and finally she’ll get it and you can visibly see relief. He’s amazingly patient.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 3:18
Keep allowing the Lord to work through you, to transform you into what He wants. Remember, God is good, and that life is a gift and it will pass very quickly. Don’t take it for granted. Hug those who you love today, and share the truth with those who don’t know the Lord because everyone of us is going to spend eternity somewhere. None of us know when, but today could be the day when God calls us home. Praying we’re all ready! Stay bold.
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