⑩My Faith Journey: My Grandfather’s Funeral(En)

(An astonishing miracle in which God completely protected us from idolatry and even guarded the weather through prayer without doubt)

One of the situations that Japanese Christians must approach with the greatest care is when they are required to attend Buddhist or Shinto ceremonies.

We worship God alone. Therefore, we cannot bow down at places where the dead, animals, or objects are enshrined, nor can we worship man-made idols. As written in the Old Testament in the Ten Commandments, idolatry is something God strongly detests.

Because I had been learning about the error and seriousness of idolatry, I was extremely cautious when my grandfather passed away and his funeral approached. As a result, my prayers at that time were urgent and heartfelt.

There were two main points in my prayer: first, that I would be completely protected from idolatry, and second, that we would be given good weather.

When people grow more “mature,” their prayers often include the thought, “if it is God’s will.” However, when I was still a beginner in faith, that hesitation did not exist at all.

Children’s prayers are often answered because they believe in God without any doubt. At that time, I believed just as simply: to pray meant that the request would surely be answered.

The night before the funeral, both the television and telephone weather forecast said that it would rain the next day—heavy rain, in fact. My mother was already exhausted just thinking about it, because the weather had been terrible at my paternal grandfather’s funeral, causing many difficulties.

I said to her,

“It’s all right, Mom. Tomorrow will be fine.”

She looked at me in disbelief and replied,

“That can’t be true. The weather forecast says otherwise.”

Of course, from a human perspective, there was no guarantee at all that it would clear up. But I firmly believed that it was God’s will for the weather to be good so that everyone could attend the funeral without hardship.

So I said confidently,

“Jesus will make the weather fine. It will definitely be all right, so don’t worry.”

The next morning, I woke up around five o’clock. It was drizzling outside.

Still, I believed the words of Jesus:

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

(Mark 11:24 NIV)

So I prayed in advance with thanksgiving:

“Jesus, I asked You to give us good weather. Even though it is lightly raining now, I thank You because You have already made it sunny for the time of the funeral.”

By six o’clock, nothing had changed, but I prayed the same prayer again.

(In our church, many people pray in this way—thanking God as if the prayer has already been answered, which corresponds to what English expresses with the present perfect.

In the afternoon, we went to my mother’s family home. During the morning, the sky remained cloudy, looking as if it might rain at any moment, but no rain fell.

My greatest concern was idolatry. Because my younger niece had just been born, I stayed with my sister instead of attending the funeral ceremony itself. We waited upstairs in a separate building of the house. Strangely enough, no one told us to attend the service or to offer incense.

When we returned to the main house, the funeral had already ended. All that remained was for the relatives to walk together in a line toward the grave.

As we walked, I looked up at the sky, realizing that it had not rained at all. Although the sky was cloudy everywhere else, a soft, circular light shone gently only above us.

I was amazed and thought, “How perfect. Normally, at the grave, people offer incense or flowers. Yet, for some reason, I was never placed in a situation where I had to do so.

Being completely protected from idolatry and having the weather preserved brought me immense joy. I said to my mother,

“See? I told you. Jesus is the One who listens to our prayers.”

The very next day, a storm came with strong winds and heavy rain. I was deeply impressed that shifting the weather by just one day was such an easy thing for the Creator to do.

------ to be continued -----

p.s.

These testimonies are written in chronological order. Testimonies ①–④ tell how I came to faith in Christ, and the testimonies that follow describe my walk with Him. Please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

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にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

Amazed by How Pharmacies Have Evolved Recently(En)

My two-week supply of Chinese herbal medicine prescribed at the ENT clinic ran out, so I went back last week. Although I saw a different doctor this time, the diagnosis was the same. It was just the usual seasonal dryness (perhaps age-related?), and my throat itself was clean and showed no problems. That was a relief, at least for now.

An old ENT clinic I used to visit years ago for allergic rhinitis moved to the second floor of a new building around last year, and it looks quite nice now. Last time, it was already rather late, and I thought my usual pharmacy would be closed. However, I was saved by the fact that there was a pharmacy on the first floor.

What really surprised me was that if you become friends with the pharmacy on LINE, you can send them a photo of your prescription in advance. They prepare the medicine for you, so you can pick it up at a convenient time without waiting. Even more surprising was that I could earn both docomo points and pharmacy points.

I was told that the pharmacy points could be exchanged for products available in the store. Interestingly, the items had nothing to do with medicine and were things like Korean cosmetics. I wondered if pharmacies now have to come up with various ideas just to survive. Since docomo points can also be used on Amazon, I was quite happy about that.

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にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

Singing Solo "つみとがをゆるされ" (En/It)

This is a cymbidium (I believe) that was displayed above the electone on the pulpit. It has already been five months since Brother Y was called home. He always kindly provided me with photos of flowers. It truly reminds me that human life is entirely in God’s hands.

This was my first solo in two months. In November, I felt dizzy late at night two days before my solo and had to cancel my Saturday vocal lesson at the last minute. On Sunday, I almost had to cancel as well, but even though I was still recovering, I somehow managed to sing.

Most of the soloists are highly accomplished musicians, including former opera lead singers and graduates of music colleges. Compared to such professionals, my technical skills may be limited. Still, as someone who majored in English, being able to serve in this way feels like a great blessing.

                                                                ****************************

Canto da solista al culto: “つみとがをゆるされ”

Questo è un cymbidium, credo, che era sul pulpito, sopra l’electone. Sono già passati cinque mesi da quando il fratello Y è tornato al Signore. Mi faceva sempre foto dei fiori.
Questo mi ricorda che la vita umana è nelle mani di Dio.

Ho cantato come solista dopo due mesi. A novembre, due giorni prima, mi sono sentita male di notte e ho cancellato la lezione di canto del sabato. La domenica stavo per cancellare, ma anche se non stavo ancora bene, ho potuto cantare.

Molte soliste sono musiciste molto brave. Io non sono una professionista, ma posso servire così. Per me è una grande benedizione.

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にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

⑨My Faith Journey: Mimi-chan (En)

(The budgerigar whose name was given by God began to pray on his own—without being taught.)

This is a testimony I once shared at church before, but since I lost the original manuscript, I decided to write it again here.

Mimi-chan was a budgerigar I kept for about four or five years. People often think, “It’s just a parakeet,” but I am grateful because God teaches us many things even through such a small bird.

At my parents’ home, there were many budgerigars, and there was even a special bird house in the garden. Before Mimi-chan, I had been given two birds and kept them at home. One died of illness after only three days, and the other flew out through an open window and never came back. 

Once you get used to living with a pet, it is not easy to return to living alone. So I decided that the next bird should be “healthy” and “talkative.” If he ever escaped, I thought there would be a chance he might come back if he could say his name and phone number.

To teach a budgerigar to talk, two conditions are necessary: the bird must be under three weeks old, and it must be male. However, you only find out it is male much later, when the area above the beak turns blue. So when choosing one, you have no choice but to rely entirely on intuition.

I had been told to pray about “everything,” so I prayed,
“Jesus, what should I name the budgerigar I’m going to keep?”

No answer came right away, but one day, as I was absent-mindedly riding the train home from work, the words “The name is Mimi-chan” suddenly echoed in my heart.
“What? What was that just now?” I thought.

To be honest, I had secretly wanted to name the bird Pearl-chan. When I told Sister O, who knows a lot about budgerigars,
“You know, I wanted to name it Pearl, but the name I got was Mimi-chan,”
she laughed and said,
“Oh, heidi, are you going to give a female name to a male bird?”

“I don’t really understand it myself,” I replied,
“but the name is Mimi-chan.”

After that, I went to the department store every week when new birds arrived. A junior colleague even teased me, saying,
“So, Ms. S, have you found Mimi-chan yet?”

One day, when many new budgerigars had arrived, my eyes were drawn to the one eating most energetically. Among so many birds, with no way of knowing the sex, I picked it up and said,
“This one is Mimi-chan.”
The shop staff said,
“He looks like a male.”

Our intuition was right.

I believe Mimi-chan was a comfort given to me by Jesus at a time when I was feeling very sad. He grew up healthy. Just as Christian mothers pray morning and evening for their children, I prayed for Mimi-chan as well. I did not deliberately teach him words, but since I talked to him all the time throughout the year, he gradually began to speak on his own.

“Heidi onee-chan,”
“I love you,”
“I’m going,”
“I’m home,”
“Good morning,”
“Good night,”
“Be a good boy,”
and many others.

What surprised me most was that he perfectly copied my prayers. He changed the middle part, but the opening and closing phrases were exactly the same—the intonation, the breathing, even the slight accent.

“Hallelujah, Jesus, thank You.
Please protect Mimi-chan and keep him healthy today as well…
In Jesus’ name, I thank You and pray. Amen.”

Depending on his mood, he would sometimes repeat “Amen” over and over. There were even times when I forgot to pray, and Mimi-chan started praying first, making me rush to join in—or we ended up praying together. It was quite funny.

The Bible says, “Look at the birds of the air.” Birds do not complain; they spend their days praising God. And my bird even offered prayers on his own—self-service prayer, you could say. I thought to myself, I should be like that too.

There was also a time when I felt discouraged at an English school I attended after work. Although it was supposed to be a class at my level, there were returnees who had grown up abroad. I kept thinking, Why am I so bad at this?
Then I suddenly remembered Mimi-chan and thought,
“That’s right—I can just imitate. Of course returnees can speak well.”

Come to think of it, Mr. M, the principal, a very famous simultaneous interpreter, once encouraged us by saying,

“If you want to improve, all you have to do is imitate what native speakers say.”

One day, after some time had passed, I began to wonder where the name “Mimi-chan” had come from and whether it had any special meaning. So I casually flipped through an English dictionary. My eyes stopped on the word mimic.
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I didn’t know that word at the time.

When I read the meaning, I was astonished.
“Good at imitation; an imitator.”

“Mimi” came from mimic.

I realized again that the moment when the name “Mimi-chan” came to me had truly been from God, and I thanked God once more. Jesus had known my sadness from losing a previous bird, and my quiet desire that the next one would learn to speak. And yet—what a wonderfully unique Jesus He is!

Thanks to Mimi-chan, I was given a truly joyful season of life.
Hallelujah! Thanks be to the Lord.

------ to be continued -----

p.s.

These testimonies are written in chronological order. Testimonies ①–④ tell how I came to faith in Christ, and the testimonies that follow describe my walk with Him. Please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

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にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

⑧My Faith Journey: The First Trial (En)

(My planned marriage to my boyfriend, with whom I was baptized, met strong opposition.
I struggled for a long time, unable to understand God’s will.)

This is something very personal, and I hesitated to write about it. However, I cannot avoid this part of my journey. God was not treating me as a spoiled child forever. When He judges something to be necessary for me, He sometimes allows severe trials. Now I can truly believe that God always does what is best and most perfect, at all times. But in those early days, I did not understand that. When I am in the midst of suffering, I do not have the capacity to give thanks for trials. Even if I cannot understand the meaning of suffering for many years, there will come a time when I finally do.

Until then, Jesus had answered all of my prayers. Yet the one prayer I wanted Him to answer more than anything else was not answered. It was then that I learned for the first time that God’s plan was different from my own. God truly hears our prayers. However, if a prayer does not align with His will, it will not be answered, no matter how many times we pray. Some people may have an enthusiastic faith for a time, but when they are placed in a trial, they begin to doubt even God’s existence, and if things do not go their way, they abandon their faith altogether. My faith was still shallow, and I nearly lost it during my first major trial. That I have been able to keep my faith until today is not because of my own strength, but entirely because of God’s mercy and love.

The man with whom I was baptized was in a long-distance relationship with me, and we fully intended to marry someday. He was thoughtful and considerate, the kind of person who noticed even the smallest needs. I respected him deeply as a person, and we were very compatible. People at church assumed we would get married, and I believed that myself without any doubt. I planned to work for about two more years and then become his wife. I was at the peak of happiness when suddenly an event occurred that felt as though I had been thrown into hell.

It happened at a Christmas Thanksgiving service. He was supposed to come on Sunday, but no matter how long I waited, he did not arrive. Since it was unimaginable that he would break a promise, I made a long-distance call for the first time. His home phone was paid for as a business expense, so I had never called him before. That was when I learned for the first time that our marriage was being opposed. The reason given was that I did not have a personality suited for business. I was still young and believed that as long as we loved each other, we could overcome anything. Without telling me, he had been trying to persuade his parents.

Although we encouraged each other and said we would do our best together, the phone calls gradually became less frequent, and eventually stopped altogether. Thinking it was better to give him space, I sent him cassette tapes of church messages and the weekly bulletin. I consulted the pastor, and he advised me to leave him alone. Nearly six months passed without seeing him, and I called the pastor again. He said, “Sister, stop sending the tapes. It’s like casting pearls before swine.” I could not believe that his feelings had changed, so I said, “Pastor, I will go see him and confirm his feelings myself.” He replied, “No answer is the answer. If he truly loved you, he would come running to see you.” The pastor warned me that I would only be hurt if I went, but I insisted and persuaded him to arrange a meeting with his parents.

This was the only time in my life that I went against my pastor’s guidance. His feelings had not changed. I seemed to have made a good impression on his parents as well. In particular, his father, who had been the most opposed, apparently said that I was modest and sweet, which made my boyfriend very happy. I told the pastor everything honestly and apologized. We encouraged each other and tried to move forward with hope.

However, less than a month later, he called me and said that when he told his father he was going to drive to Tokyo, his father stopped him. In the end, the conclusion was the same: I was not suited for business. In tears, he said, “If I were not the heir, but just an ordinary salaried worker, I could leave home and go to Tokyo. But when I think about the fifty employees of the company and their families, I can’t think only about our happiness.” I could not accept that way of thinking and said, “So does that mean we have to sacrifice ourselves for other people’s happiness?” He answered clearly, “Yes.” Rationally, I understood that a marriage that brought unhappiness to others would eventually make us unhappy as well. With hearts torn apart, we made the painful decision to part.

There was not a single night when I slept without tears. After that, I spoke harshly to Jesus, like a rebellious child. My daily prayers became complaints and murmurs. I said, “Why is this happening, even though we were baptized together? If this kind of suffering was waiting for me, I wish I had never been baptized.” Even though I had witnessed miracles, had my prayers answered, and knew how deeply I was loved, I still said such cruel things. How much Jesus, who loved me at the cost of His life, must have been hurt and grieved. Looking back now, my faith was truly immature.

Despite my rebellion, I never missed Sunday worship or Wednesday prayer meetings. I was clinging desperately. I was afraid of being completely alone. When I began to calm down a little, I prayed and asked Jesus, “What should I do?” Quietly, through the Bible, the Lord spoke to me: “Give up everything and come to Me.” In that moment, it felt as if I suddenly came to my senses. I knew that this was what the Lord was asking of me. When I stopped resisting, although there was still loneliness, a sense of peace returned to my heart. For several years after that, even when others confessed their feelings to me, I could not help comparing them to him and felt no interest.

No matter how strongly we believe something is “absolute,” we humans cannot even see one minute into the future. God sees far beyond that. He never does anything that will ultimately harm me. For the first time, I realized, “What God has bent and shaped cannot be straightened by human hands.” I keenly felt my own smallness and God’s greatness. It took time to fully recover, but like the tide slowly receding, my feelings for him gradually faded away. Even now, I sometimes think about how remarkable it was that I endured that time. Looking back after many years, I can say with certainty that God’s judgment was right.

 ------ to be continued -----

p.s.

These testimonies are written in chronological order. Testimonies ①–④ tell how I came to faith in Christ, and the testimonies that follow describe my walk with Him. Please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

ローマ人への手紙１０章９節の原書（独習）(Gre/En/Ja)

今回は、ローマ人への手紙１０章９節を取り上げます。私は随分昔、救いは洗礼を受けることが必須条件だと思っていました。でも、今はこの聖句にあるように、イエス様を救い主として信じて告白するだけで救われるという考えに変わっています。

又、「救われる」という意味が、罪の赦しとしか思っていませんでした。でも、T.L.オズボーンの『みことばの力』との出会い、そしてローマ人への手紙１０章９節の原書を調べたことで、「救われる」或いは「will be saved」ではカバーしきれない本来の意味があることを知ることとなりました。

テキストの下の日本語直訳は、そのまま新訳（逐語訳聖書）の訳をあてています。黄緑色の文字は動詞、オレンジ色は名詞になります。なお、日本語の直訳や文法的な日本語の詳しい説明は、そのサイトをご参照下さい。又、私は古典ギリシャ語については初心者であることをご了承下さい。😅

冒頭の「ὅτι」は接続詞で、「that（内容を導く）」、「because（理由を示す）」、説明・言い換え（＝すなわち）の意味があります。NKJVではthatと訳されていますが、口語訳の「すなわち」の方がピンと来るように思います。何故ならば、直前（10:8)の「信仰の言葉」の説明として10:9が来るからです。

又、次の「ἐὰν」も接続詞で、if（もし）と言う意味ですが、「ἐὰν」から始まる節は、最後の行の後ろから２つめの単語「νεκρῶν, 」まで続きます。「ἐὰν・・・νεκρῶν,」で、「もし～ならば」にあたり、その結果として「σωθήσῃ」（あなたは救われる）になるという意味です。

下の方に名詞と動詞の文法的なことを説明しています。重複してしまいますが、「σωθήσῃ（ソーセーセー）」の語根は「σῴζω（ソーゾー：救う）」で、未来受動態（will be saved/救われる）です。ただし、先に言いましたように、「σῴζω」には下記のように、「救う」には広い意味があります。下はBlue Letter Bibleの一部を日本語私訳したものです。

１．救う、安全で健全に保つ、危険や破壊（怪我や危険）から救う

２．苦しんでいる人、つまり、病気で苦しんでいる人を（滅びから）救う、

　　良くする、癒す、健康を回復する

ὁμολογήσῃς（ホモロゲーセース）

語根：ὁμολογέω（ホモロゲオー：同じことを言う／告白する）

English：you would confess

意味：あなたが告白する

文法：アオリスト・能動・接続法・二人称単数

στόματι（ストマティ）

語根：στόμα（ストマ：口）

English：mouth

意味：口

文法：名詞・中性・単数・与格

κύριον（クリオン）

語根：κύριος（クリオス：主）

English：Lord

意味：主

文法：名詞・男性・単数・対格

Ἰησοῦν（イエースーン）

語根：Ἰησοῦς（イエスース：イエス）

English：Jesus

意味：イエス

文法：名詞・男性・単数・対格

πιστεύσῃς（ピステューセース）

語根：πιστεύω（ピステューオー：信じる）

English：you believe

意味：あなたが信じる

文法：アオリスト・能動・接続法・二人称単数

καρδίᾳ（カルディア）

語根：καρδία（カルディア：心）

English：heart

意味：心

文法：名詞・女性・単数・与格

θεὸς（セオス／テオス）

語根：θεός（セオス／テオス：神）

English：God

意味：神

文法：名詞・男性・単数・主格

ἤγειρεν（エーゲイレン）

語根：ἐγείρω（エゲイロー：起こす／よみがえらせる）

English：he raised

意味：彼はよみがえらせた

文法：アオリスト・能動・直説法・三人称単数

σωθήσῃ（ソーセーセー）

語根：σῴζω（ソーゾー：救う）

English：you will be saved

意味：あなたは救われる

文法：未来・受動・直説法・二人称単数

νεκρῶν（ネクローン）

語根：νεκρός（ネクロス：死んだ者）

English：the dead

意味：死者たち

文法：男性・複数・属格

（※ 形容詞ですが 名詞的用法 のため含めています）

余談ですが、私が穿孔腹膜炎で緊急手術をした時に造設された「ストーマ／ストマ（人口肛門）」というのは、ギリシャ語の「στόμα（ストマ：口）」が語源だそうです。１年間お世話になったので、絶対忘れないギリシャ語となりました。😅

イエス様を救い主と信じていても、事情によって洗礼を受けられない人がいることを知りました。以前の私であれば、洗礼を受けて初めてクリスチャンになるものだと思っていました。でも、ローマ10:9にあるように、イエス様が主であり、死からよみがえられたと信じて告白することで、救われるのです。

洗礼は一つのけじめとしての儀式、クリスチャンであることを公にすることだと思っています。イエス様が主であり、死人よりよみがえられたと信じて告白することで、救われ、心身共に安全で守られ、又病気も癒されるということは本当に大きな恵みですね。一人でも多くの方がイエス様に出会えますように祈ります。

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

My First Encounter with English Hymns (En/It)

During a period of job hunting many years ago, I took an employment test and was deeply discouraged by how poorly I had done in English.

On my way home, I happened to stop by a Christian bookstore, where an English hymn CD was playing. The song was It Is Well with My Soul. It was sung by Sandi Patty, and her gentle, beautiful voice immediately drew me in, so I bought the CD on the spot.

The CD contained many hymns that I already knew in Japanese, and I listened to it again and again, feeling deeply comforted. Through this CD, I also came to know The Lord’s Prayer in English. Although reading the King James Version was difficult for me, the prayer itself became easy to remember because it was set to music.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.(Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)

Even now, I sometimes sing the Lord’s Prayer in English as I walk to church.😊

                                         **********************************

                                     Il mio primo incontro con inni in inglese

Molti anni fa cercavo lavoro. Feci un test per un lavoro, ma il mio inglese non era buono. Tornando a casa, entrai per caso in una libreria cristiana. Lì sentii un CD di inni in inglese.

Il primo inno era It Is Well with My Soul, cantata da Sandi Patty. La sua voce era dolce e bella, e comprai subito il CD. Nel CD c’erano molti inni che conoscevo in giapponese.
Ascoltandoli, il mio cuore si calmò.

Con questo CD conobbi anche The Lord’s Prayer in inglese. Leggere la Bibbia in inglese era difficile per me, ma la preghiera cantata era facile da ricordare. Ancora oggi, a volte canto il Padre Nostro in inglese andando in chiesa.😊

Amazon Link ↓

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

⑦My Faith Journey: Becoming an Office Worker (En)

(Although I gave up becoming a teacher and had no idea what I could do, God had already prepared a career plan that suited me.)

I originally entered a four-year university after vocational school because I wanted to become an English teacher someday. However, after going through teaching practice, I began to feel that teaching might not be right for me. I have always preferred learning to teaching. Unless one has real confidence, it is difficult to guide others.

Although I graduated from an English department, I had no idea what I could actually do, nor did I know what I truly wanted to do. I had never experienced job hunting like everyone else, dressing in “recruit fashion” and attending company seminars. At a loss, I decided to look at the job listings in The Japan Times, thinking that I might find a job where I could use English.

Looking back now, it was a very simple and careless approach. I applied to only two companies—simply because their job advertisements took up a large space. Since one company moved faster in the hiring process, I naturally ended up going in that direction.

It felt as if I had simply entrusted myself to the flow. At church, people prayed especially for my job search at the throne of grace, and there must have been many prayers offered quietly without my knowing. I am truly grateful.

Here is how I was hired. The job listings were for “President’s Secretary,” “Assistant Translator,” and “Clerk.” I applied as an assistant translator. I was asked to take a written exam in the company’s conference room. It included general knowledge questions and an English translation test. I think around twenty or thirty people were there. During the exam, we were called one by one for interviews.

The English test was extremely difficult, and I felt I had done only about half of it well. Still, for some reason, I immediately liked the company. Perhaps it was simply because the office was in a beautiful high-rise building, but for someone as inexperienced as I was, that was reason enough. While taking the test, I prayed silently in my heart:
“Jesus, this exam is very difficult. But I like this place. Please, somehow, let me be hired.”

When it was my turn for the interview, I was asked how the test had gone. I answered honestly that it had been difficult and that I had not done very well. Then, without knowing why, I suddenly said, “Um… I can type in English as well.” In the job listing for clerk, it did say, “Some typing ability required.” When I added, “I don’t mind working as a clerk,” the interviewer said to the deputy manager sitting nearby, “Mr. N, this person too.” Perhaps there were many applicants like me.

The deputy manager came over, glanced at my résumé while standing, and said, “Your age is just right. You have a good educational background as well.”

A few days later, while I was praying because I had not yet heard the result, the phone rang. It was the company, calling to tell me that I had passed. Hallelujah! I had been hired.

At that time, I did not even understand my own abilities, and I was a rather reserved person who did not know how to promote myself. Yet, because of that one sentence—“I can type”—I would later spend many long years working in the field of trade at other companies as well. Is this how encounters shape our lives?

When I called my pastor to tell him that I had been hired, he said, “That’s wonderful.” I explained the whole story in detail, even adding something silly like, “Pastor, it’s a very tall building. I like high places.” He replied warmly, “Oh, sister, I’m glad it’s a high place for you.”

Remembering how immature I was back then always makes me smile fondly, along with the warmth of my pastor.

 ------ to be continued -----

p.s.

These testimonies are written in chronological order. Testimonies ①–④ tell how I came to faith in Christ, and the testimonies that follow describe my walk with Him. Please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

⑥My Faith Journey: To the Town Where the Church Is (En)

(From a convenient city to an inconvenient countryside — yet richly blessed even in a poor life that began from nothing.)

Human beings are first fed with milk as babies. Then they move on to soft foods, and as they grow from children into adults, they gradually begin to eat solid food. God’s provision is similar. During the first year or so after being saved, it felt as if I was being lovingly fed with milk — gently cared for and comforted. I remember those days as truly happy and peaceful.

Even without praying aloud, things I merely thought about in my heart would somehow be provided. Time and again, someone would unexpectedly bring me exactly what I needed. I came to understand what it meant to be made a child of God. Just as a human baby is loved and provided for simply because they belong to their parents, I too experienced that kind of grace.

After graduating from university, I planned to become an English teacher someday, so I continued working part-time as a tutor at a cram school. The irregular working hours, however, caused my health to deteriorate again. Following my pastor’s advice, I quit the job and rested for a month.

When the month had passed, I called my pastor and asked, “Pastor, it’s been a month. What should I do now?” He replied, “Sister, there’s no point in you being alone there. Come and move to W City.”

By that time, all the savings I had built up during my student years were gone. I said, “Pastor, I don’t even have money to move.” He simply answered, “The church will pay for it.”

When I moved, two brothers who had dedicated their lives to the ministry helped me with the move. After I arrived, the sisters in the church also came to help. In September, I safely relocated. I had moved from a large city to an inconvenient rural area. At first, it felt like there was absolutely nothing there.

Because of this, I faced spiritual opposition and even found myself crying, not wanting to move. But through prayer, I was able to overcome it. Just before the move, I had another mysterious dream. I was floating gently through the sky. As I continued flying, I saw a red church roof far below me. It was the very church I attended. It felt like a picture of how joyful my soul truly was.

My living conditions changed drastically — from aluminum-frame windows to rattling wooden ones, from a flush toilet to a non-flush one. Yet my heart was full of joy. I had never known hardship or financial worry before. Now I was starting from nothing — penniless, and even in debt to the church for my moving expenses and apartment deposit. It was truly a negative start.

One day, when I had no money left at all, I prayed, “Jesus, I have no money now. What should I do?” Then the words “Proverbs 15:16” echoed clearly in my heart. I had not read the entire Old Testament, so I wondered what that verse said. Without deliberately searching, I opened my Bible at random — and my eyes fell exactly on that verse. I was astonished.

It read:
“Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil with it.”

My heart overflowed with joy at God’s great love. Tears streamed down my face as I kept repeating, “Thank You, Jesus. Thank You.”

Just then, the phone rang. A devoted church worker, Mr. S, asked, “Are you doing all right financially?”
When I went to church later, he handed me a plain envelope containing money. The amount was neither too much nor too little — it was exactly what I needed for my living expenses at that time.

From October, I began working my first office job. Each month, I repaid 10,000 yen along with my thank-offering. One day, my pastor said to me,
“You don’t need to pay it back anymore.”

Today, I am not struggling financially. But back then, I was pure in heart and even enjoyed being poor. Since Jesus was the only one I relied on, those days became a precious training ground for my faith. For that, I am deeply thankful.

 ------ to be continued -----

p.s.

These testimonies are written in chronological order. Testimonies ①–④ tell how I came to faith in Christ, and the testimonies that follow describe my walk with Him. Please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

⑤My Faith Journey: Graduation Thesis and Oral Examination (En)

(I had been worried about my graduation thesis on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. After learning about sin, I managed to write it, but I was still anxious about the oral examination.)

Writing my graduation thesis was not easy for me. I was not very good at writing, even in Japanese. Looking back, I realize that although I liked English, I was not especially interested in literature itself. It may seem natural that I chose the English literature department simply because I liked English.

Because I had been attending church regularly, I came to understand the meaning of “sin,” which is the main theme of The Scarlet Letter. Thanks to this, I somehow managed to write my thesis. I did my very best, but I was not confident about either the content or my writing. To be honest, and rather embarrassingly, I had read only half of the original English text. I relied mostly on the Japanese translation. Still, I think I was able to write a fairly good summary in English.

Then the day of the oral examination arrived. Since it was my first experience, I was extremely nervous. I kept wondering what kind of questions I would be asked and what would happen if they questioned me deeply. Before leaving home, I prayed to Jesus:
“Jesus, I did my best on my thesis, but I have no confidence. Please help me avoid difficult questions.” It was, admittedly, a very selfish prayer.

We had to sit outside the classroom and wait for our turn. The students three before me and just before me had also written on Hawthorne, and their examinations took a long time. I became even more anxious and thought, What if I am questioned for over thirty minutes?

Finally, it was my turn. The professor in charge and the head of the literature department were seated there. For some reason, they asked me only two or three simple questions.
Then the professor in charge said, “You have written very well about sin. Are you a Christian?”

I told him that not understanding sin had led me to attend church, and that I was later baptized and became a Christian. He smiled and said, “That is a blessing, isn’t it?”
I did not know whether he himself was a Christian.

The other professor was also a local pastor, so I went on to explain in detail how I was baptized and how the pain in my stomach disappeared afterward. (I may be the only person who ever gave a personal testimony during an oral examination.) However, he gave a slight smile that felt dismissive. I was shocked, because it seemed as if he was thinking, How foolish. I could not understand why a pastor could not accept something wonderful that God had done.

Later, the professor in charge asked me, “Did you read the entire original text?” I answered honestly, “No. It was too difficult, and I read only half of it.”

He seemed to have already known this, but he did not get angry. My oral examination ended in what felt like about ten minutes, almost like casual conversation. (It may have been longer, but it felt very short to me.)

I was amazed. Even though my prayer had been so selfish, Jesus had answered it. My final grade was B. Hallelujah!

   ----- to be continued -----

p.s.

For my earlier testimonies about encountering Jesus and baptism (①–④), please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

p.s.

Below is a link to the books on Amazon.

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング