⑳My Faith Journey: Overcoming Evil with Good (En)

　　　　　　

(For about four or five months, I was bullied by a coworker. Yet God completely protected my heart and enabled me to persevere with the attitude of “overcoming evil with good.” In the end, He gave me the victory.)

I found myself working for a Japanese company again. As a Sales Assistant, I handled export shipments, wrote English correspondence, translated documents, and coordinated communication between our U.S. branch office and the production and engineering departments. I was entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities.

The company was part of the amusement industry, so the work was exciting and full of possibilities. Even the unfashionable uniform that had bothered me at first was replaced with a new design within a month of my joining the company. I was even given the opportunity to appear on a television program called OL Club. It was a very interesting experience.

The fact that I was working for a Japanese company, which had initially concerned me, soon stopped bothering me. In fact, I came to appreciate the warm and friendly atmosphere. It was something I had not experienced in my previous foreign company. My immediate supervisor called me by my first name with “---chan,” which was a little embarrassing at my age, but it also reflected the relaxed and friendly environment.

However, for the first time in my life, I experienced open and obvious bullying.

During my first few weeks, there were only two women in our department, and we got along well. We even ate lunch together. But when two other assistants joined the company around the same time, her attitude toward me suddenly changed. I could not understand why. I thought about possible reasons, but none came to mind.

Many people enjoy gossiping and speaking negatively about others, but I have never liked that sort of thing. Perhaps I seemed boring or distant because I did not participate in such conversations. Whatever the reason, she began spreading negative stories about me. I later learned that she was speaking badly about me behind my back.

I constantly wondered whether I had done something wrong. I had always treated her with kindness and respect, and no matter what she said about me, I never spoke badly of her in return. Unfortunately, her feelings began affecting our work. Whenever I approached her about business matters, she would respond with obvious irritation. It felt as though she criticized me no matter what I did. I did not expect everyone to like me, but being disliked for no apparent reason was very painful.

Thankfully, the people around me understood who I was. Many of them did not approve of her behavior. Of course, I prayed to Jesus about the situation. I am the kind of person who can accept a difficult outcome if I know I have done my best. So I decided to continue living by the principle of “overcoming evil with good.”

After about four or five months, she suddenly resigned from the company. I heard that she simply said, “I’m tired,” and left.

The day before her departure, I approached her with an English-Japanese parallel New Testament that I had purchased in advance. I wanted to give it to her as a farewell gift.

“Thank you for everything,” I said. “Please accept this.”

But she glared at me and replied, “I haven’t done anything for you, and I have no reason to receive this.”

Even when I said, “This is simply my way of expressing my feelings,” she refused to accept it.

I was deeply hurt. Later, I spoke to my department manager about what had happened. He comforted me by saying, “Don’t be discouraged. People like her have trouble fitting in wherever they go.”

Much later, I learned something that helped me understand the situation. She loved English and had been studying it on her own by listening to English-learning cassette tapes. She had wanted a job that involved using English, like the one I had.

When I heard that, I thought to myself that things might have been different if she had approached life more positively and proactively. Jealousy, resentment, and anger do not truly harm the people toward whom they are directed. In the end, they return to the person who harbors them and prevent that person from finding real happiness.

Those four or five months were difficult for me. Yet God protected my heart through His Word and kept me from being controlled by bitterness or resentment. He enabled me to remain steadfast and gave me the victory.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(Romans 12:21 NIV)

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

Nostalgic Queen (En)

While categorizing my Hatena Blog (in Japanese), which I have been writing for 20 years, I came across YouTube links to Queen's "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" and "Nevermore" in a diary entry from 2010. Both songs were linked there. Below are the two songs from Queen's official YouTube channel.

Last month, when I went to karaoke with classmates from music college, I chose "Bohemian Rhapsody." However, the tempo was so fast and the lyrics were so unusual that I was unable to keep up with it. 😅 I suspect the same thing would happen with "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke"...

I think "Nevermore" is wonderful because Freddie Mercury's singing is so beautiful. At that time, I liked Brian May, the intellectual and sensitive guitarist, but when it comes to singing, I prefer Freddie's voice to Brian's.

Back when I was studying English literature in college, I was a quiet and introverted person, so people were often surprised when I said I listened to hard rock. My personality has changed since then, but even now, some people are surprised that I enjoy listening to rock music as well as singing hymns. 😅

I like melodic and dramatic music regardless of genre. That preference applies to both opera and rock. A few days ago, I found a recording of opera arias that I sang 17 years ago in my iTunes library. I'm thinking about uploading it to YouTube as a keepsake.

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多言語学習ランキング

Singing a Solo at Sunday Service: "なが顔われ今たずぬ" (Eng/It)

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to sing hymn No. 559, "Naga Kao Ware Ima Tazunu," as a solo during the Sunday service. I usually sing it a half-step or a whole step higher than the original key, but during the rehearsal just before the service, it felt too low. So I asked my pianist to raise it another half-step. I am grateful to my wonderful pianist for her flexibility and willingness to adapt on short notice.

 

At my lesson the day before the service, I usually bring my copy of L'OPERA ITALIANA, but I accidentally brought Volume I instead of Volume III. As a result, I ended up singing a Mozart aria instead of Puccini. Unexpectedly, I sang the Countess's aria from Le nozze di Figaro for the first time in nine years. The first half was a mess, but somehow my body remembered the aria during the second half.

Just as with language learning, I feel that singing is difficult to maintain without regular practice. During the pandemic, recitals were canceled, and I lost my sense of purpose. However, when I talked with my vocal teacher, she told me that many of her other students felt the same way. As we talked, the idea of holding another recital began to take shape. I'm very happy and excited about the possibility of singing arias again.

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

Cantare un assolo durante il culto domenicale

(Video)

Domenica scorsa ho cantato da sola l'inno numero 559 al culto. Di solito canto questo inno mezzo tono o un tono più alto. Ma durante la prova era troppo basso per me. Così ho chiesto alla pianista di alzarlo di un semitono. Sono molto grata alla mia pianista.

(Video)

Il giorno prima avevo una lezione di canto. Di solito porto il mio libro L'OPERA ITALIANA. Ma per errore ho portato il volume uno invece del volume tre. Così ho cantato Mozart invece di Puccini. Ho cantato l'aria della Contessa da Le Nozze di Figaro. Era la prima volta dopo nove anni. La prima parte era un disastro. Ma il mio corpo ricordava ancora l'aria.

Come le lingue, anche il canto ha bisogno di pratica. Durante la pandemia non c'erano recital. Ho perso il mio obiettivo. La mia insegnante ha detto che molti studenti avevano lo stesso problema. Adesso pensiamo a un nuovo recital. Sono molto felice. Spero di cantare di nuovo delle arie.

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にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

⑲My Faith Journey: The Next Step (En)

(After much struggle and prayer, I decided to change jobs once again. A company introduced by a recruiting agency was Japanese-owned, but it offered exactly the kind of work I had always wanted to do.)

The second company was not what you would call a fun workplace, like the first one. I realized how different foreign companies were from Japanese companies. However, they entrusted work to employees regardless of gender, and I felt that it was a rewarding environment for women. Under a strict boss, I learned export operations from the ground up. Eventually, I became fully capable of handling the work, but the constant overtime left me exhausted to the point of collapsing from overwork.

At the end of the year, when I looked back over my life, there were several years in which I could hardly remember doing anything except work. Before my desk had been used by executive secretaries, so I often observed the work of the secretaries who came before me. They all had excellent English skills and made full use of them. Although I handled all aspects of export administration in that company, I had never even written a simple shipping advice. Writing English letters and correspondence was entirely the secretaries’ responsibility.

Whenever I saw the English they wrote, I began to wish that someday I could do that kind of work too. I wanted a job where I could write in English. There is a Bible verse that says:

“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good  purpose.” (Philippians 2:13 NIV)

God not only gives us desires, but also prepares the path that leads to their fulfillment. If we continue to hold on to a vision, I believe it will eventually take shape. I struggled greatly over the decision, but in the end, I chose to leave the company at the end of May, giving up my June bonus. Money was not the issue. I remained unemployed for two months, but it was necessary time for me to recover both physically and emotionally.

When I began looking for another job, I used a recruiting agency for the first time. They told me that, based on my experience in export administration, there was only one company they could introduce to me at the moment. The company was Japanese, but the job description was extremely attractive. It was an assistant position for the sales department where I could make use of my export experience, do translations, and write English documents. It was a perfect opportunity for career advancement.

However, I was very reluctant to return to a Japanese company. After all, it was because I disliked the corporate culture of Japanese companies that I had moved to a foreign company in the first place. Still, encouraged rather forcefully by the recruiting agent, I decided to go to the interview anyway. The problem was that the salary would be lower, but thankfully the recruiter negotiated the salary on my behalf. Then I was told that I would have a second interview with a foreign employee in order to determine whether my salary could be increased.

I had no idea that an American worked there. Nervously, I attended the interview, but afterward I was terribly disappointed with my poor performance. I felt miserable and wondered what I had been studying all those years. Perhaps I had underestimated the company simply because it was Japanese. I deeply repented of my own arrogance.

On the way home from the interview, I happened to stop by the Life Center bookstore, where I found an English hymnbook called Praise!. I was so happy because it felt as though God had heard my desire to sing praises in English. At exactly the moment when I was discouraged, this book was placed before me. Because of that joy, the result of the interview no longer mattered to me. I thought, “If I fail, praise the Lord. If I pass, even more praise!” That weekend, I spent my time happily singing English hymns.

The following Monday, I received a call from the recruiting agency. Unbelievably, the company had decided to raise my monthly salary by 20,000 yen. In terms of annual income, it became even higher than my previous company. The other two people hired at the same time had applied through a magazine called Torabayu, so their salaries had already been fixed and could not be negotiated.

Later, I learned that in Japanese companies, it is normally unheard of to negotiate salary during an interview. My coworkers told me that my case was unprecedented. (Hallelujah!)

That year, employees who joined the company by August 1 were eligible for the winter bonus. I still do not know why the deadline was not July 31, but it was almost as if it had been arranged specifically for my start date. The two women who joined the company only a few days later were not eligible for the winter bonus and received only a small cash gift instead of a full winter bonus.

When I left my previous company, I chose to obey God rather than focus on money. Later, God blessed me in this remarkable way. Hallelujah!

------ 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

⑱My Faith Journey: My Pasture (En)

(As my church belongs to the Pentecostal tradition, praying in tongues is a very natural part of our worship. Where God greatly blesses a church, Satan often tries hard to attack it as well. This is about what the Lord taught me in the middle of such struggles.)

I had always kept my eyes only on Jesus, so I never really thought much about denominations — Protestant, Catholic, or anything like that. I was born and raised in my first church, so I knew very little about other churches and honestly had no interest in them.

I am a sheep of this pasture. Each of us has our own pasture — our church. Jesus is our Shepherd, but He also gives us visible shepherds here on earth: pastors.

My church is very large, yet at the same time very warm and family-like. The brothers and sisters there are like a big family to me. Even so, there was only one time in my life when I seriously considered moving to another church.

My church had been greatly blessed by God, but because of that, it sometimes became the target of jealousy. For several years, some Christians who had been deceived by Satan caused terrible confusion and division within the church. A fierce storm swept through our congregation.

During that time, I often cried and prayed together with another sister in Christ. Because I loved my church so deeply, those days were painful beyond words. At the same time, I was also struggling personally with serious problems at work and in human relationships. There was a season when I desperately needed to pray in tongues even during my lunch break.

Near my workplace there was a church of another denomination, and for about two weeks they kindly allowed me to use their sanctuary during lunchtime for prayer. I was truly grateful. Even in such a short time, I treasured the joy of being alone with the Lord.

The pastor there would even leave the room while I prayed, so I could worship and pray freely. However, on the day I decided it would be my last visit, something happened.

While I was praying, the pastor happened to hear me praying in tongues. As I was leaving, he asked me,

“Was that speaking in tongues?”

I answered very naturally,

“Yes, it was.”

Then, with a look almost as if he had seen something dirty, he said,

“We do not accept speaking in tongues here.”

I was shocked. I was deeply hurt. I realized for the first time that many churches in the world viewed us this way.

The Bible says that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit upon all people. It also warns us very seriously about speaking against the work of the Holy Spirit. So I could not understand why this pastor refused to acknowledge what he himself had seen and heard.

I wondered: even if he stood in the middle of my church while nearly three hundred people prayed together in the Spirit, would he still refuse to believe it?

Actually, I had been thinking that perhaps I could move to this church. It was stylish, located in a beautiful area, and many foreigners attended there. But at that moment, I clearly understood something.

I am a sheep of another pasture. I have a place where I belong. I have a role there — singing praises in the church choir. My pasture, my place, was not here. Even though a fierce storm was raging around my church, I decided to remain there.

Many years have passed since then. Our church overcame those trials, and today it continues to be blessed and grow even more.

Hallelujah!!

（注）

*other tongue（異言）

五旬節の日が来て、みんなの者が一緒に集まっていると、 突然、激しい風が吹いてきたような音が天から起こってきて、 一同がすわっていた家いっぱいに響きわたった。また、舌のようなものが、炎のように分かれて現れ、 ひとりびとりの上にとどまった。すると、一同は聖霊に満たされ、御霊（みたま）がかたらせるままに、 いろいろの他国の言葉で語り出した。（使徒行伝２章１-４節）

p.s. 今年5/24はペンテコステ（聖霊降臨祭）です。私の教会はペンテコステ派なので、日本語と共に異言のお祈りもする教会です。

------ 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

大西先生の公開講座に行ってきました～私とラジオ英会話

先週土曜日は、「ラジオ英会話」でお世話になっている大西泰斗先生の公開講座を聞きに東洋学園大学まで行ってきました。最寄りの駅はメトロの水道橋駅で、ここは１０年以上前にFTISLANDのファンミでドームシティに来て以来だったので、懐かしい気持でした。

方向音痴の私は案の定迷いましたが、それは織り込み済みなので😅、開始の２０分前には到着しました。約３００人収容の会場で、既に半分は埋まっていました。上の写真は、結構歩き回れる先生の写真を、人の隙間から何とか撮った写真です。

意外だったのは先生は同大学を３８年勤務され、今年度で定年退職をされるそうです。もうそんな年齢だったのですね。「ラジオ英会話」番組と同じように、いえ、それよりも速いテンポでずっとお話をされていました。「はい、こっちみて」を何十回も仰っていたので、退屈で眠る人はまずいなかったのではないでしょうか。😅あっという間の、楽しい１時間半でした。

先生の「約束」に関するお話は印象的でした。恩師との最初の約束で、色々な引き合いはあったようですが、転職をすることなくずっと定年まで勤務されたそうです。私も初めて行った教会で、「来週もいらっしゃい。」と牧師先生から言われて「はい。」と答えた以上、来週も来なかったら嘘つきになっちゃうと、今も変わらず何十年も通っているわけです。「約束」を大切にされている大西先生と意外な共通点があったようです。😊

この方は、番組ではおなじみのデイビッドさんです。最後の１０分間に、「テクニック・チート」の所を指導して下さいました。これは番組後半でおなじみの、「発音・リズム・弱形」などのリアルタイムでの実践練習でした。

　　　　　　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

NHKの「ラジオ英会話」との出会いは高校生の時で、当時の講師は東後勝明先生でした。先生は音声学が専門でしたので、番組中の細かい発音指導が印象的でした。例えば、[ i ]という発音は日本語の「イ」ではないこと。私は先生のおっしゃる通り、割り箸を横にくわえて「イ」と発音して練習したものです。

私は中学の頃から発音記号を書くことが出来、東後先生のお蔭でそれらを正しく発音することが出来るようになったのです。それでネイティブから発音を褒められるようになりました。他の外国語でも発音が良いので、流暢に話せる人と勘違いされがちです。😅

東後先生の後は、杉田先生、大杉先生、マーシャ先生、遠山先生、そして現在の大西先生に至ります。途中英語に対する倦怠期が長く続いて、気持ちがドイツ語に行ってしまったこともあり、記憶に新しいのは遠山先生と大西先生になります。

東後先生がイギリス英語だったということは当時は分かりませんでした。たまにネットで先生の音源を聴くことが出来た時、「あぁ、綺麗なイギリス英語だ。」と今は分かります。テレビで「英会話中級」の番組もありました。難しかったのを覚えています。

遠山先生の時は、並行して「ビジネス英語」も聴いていましたが、日常会話なのに侮れないと思いました。実際ネイティブが使っているスラングが多く取り上げられていたので、むしろビジネス英語より難しいのではと感じていたほどです。

2018年からは現在の大西先生になったわけですが、ずっと遠山先生の番組で慣れていた人達には、あまりにも違うので驚いたかと思います。先生は文法用語を使うことなく、先日の講座でも、実際に何度も「説明は後ろに置く」を何十回も復唱しました。😅

大西先生になってからは、ずいぶん易しくなったという印象があります。文法用語を前面に出すのではなく、「指定ルール」「説明ルール」と言った単純なルールで英語の語順感覚を身につけさせる方法です。私は昔ながらの文法用語で学んできた世代なので、この方法には半分納得し、半分戸惑いもあります。

実際、『一億人の英文法』も持っていて読みました。イメージを使った説明は私向きだなと思いつつも、「仮定法はどこ？」「分詞構文はどこ？」と思ってしまい、結局『Evergreen』のような文法書で確認することになったりしました。けれども、英語を実際に口に出して使えるようにするという目的から考えると、大西先生の方法はとても良く工夫されていると思います。

 

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

The Roots of “Mayim Mayim” and the Meaning of “Shalom” (En)

This is a corner of a restaurant in Jerusalem where they were making fresh pomegranate juice. I’m usually not a clumsy person, but I accidentally knocked over a nearly full glass of juice and stained my white T-shirt bright red. 😅

I am still continuing the long process of categorizing my old Hatena Blog (in Japanese) posts. Along the way, I came across a short article I had written nine years ago and decided to revisit the topic.

Among the many folk dances we learned in junior high school, “Mayim Mayim” left the strongest impression on me. Its melody and rhythm somehow felt “Israeli” to me, so I looked it up and discovered that it really did originate in Israel.

The song was originally created around 1937 in a Jewish settlement in Palestine. Before World War II, it spread to the United States, and after the war, organizations such as the YMCA introduced it throughout Japan as part of youth activities.

The repeated phrase:

“Mayim, mayim, mayim, mayim, mayim b’sasson”

comes from Hebrew.

• mayim means “water”
• b’sasson means “with joy”

The lyrics are based on this verse from the Old Testament:

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
(Isaiah 12:3 NIV)

This YouTube video is a “Mayim Medley” that includes several Israeli songs.

In 2010, during a Holy Land tour organized by Pastor Kenichi Nakagawa of Harvest Time Ministries, we learned a short Hebrew song called Hevenu Shalom Aleichem. 

At one point during the trip, our group suddenly began singing it together, and local Israeli people stopped, smiled, applauded, and seemed genuinely delighted. The song appears around 4:40 in the video.

Hevenu shalom aleichem
Hevenu shalom aleichem
Hevenu shalom aleichem
Hevenu shalom, shalom, shalom aleichem

It means:

“We bring peace to you.”
“Peace be upon you.”

The word shalom has a much deeper meaning than simply “peace.” It can also include:

• peace of mind
• wholeness
• rest
• God’s blessing

At the time, I wondered why the Israeli people were so happy to hear us sing. Looking back now, perhaps they were simply touched that people from a distant country were singing “shalom” in Hebrew.

Interestingly, shalom is also commonly used in everyday Israeli conversation as both “hello” and “goodbye,” while also carrying the meaning of “peace.”

Israel has experienced a long history of exile, persecution, and war. Even today, the conflict that began in October 2023 has not yet ended. When I visited, it may have been one of the more peaceful periods.

The roots of these struggles go all the way back to Old Testament times, making the situation extremely complex. I can do very little, but I continue to pray for peace.

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多言語学習ランキング

3-Minute Microwave Anman & Pan-Fried Hotteok-Style Cakes (En)

I try to keep my cooking as simple and time-saving as possible. I have introduced these 3-minute microwave anman (sweet bean buns) before, but this time I also made a hotteok-style version using exactly the same ingredients. I say “hotteok-style” because I only once bought and tasted real Korean hotteok in Shin-Okubo, so I made this version from imagination. 😊

Ingredients

• 200g pancake mix
  (1 packet from a 3-pack package)
• 150g silken tofu
  (1 piece from a pack of 3)
• Sweet red bean paste (tsubu-an)
  as much as you like

That is all you need.

Put the silken tofu into a bowl and mash it until smooth. Add the pancake mix and combine well. Gather the dough into one ball and divide it into four pieces.

Two pieces will be for the anman, and two for the hotteok-style cakes.

How to Make the Anman

Flatten each piece of dough, place some sweet bean paste inside, and shape it into a bun.

Place two buns on a large plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and microwave at 500W for 3 minutes.

Carefully remove the plastic wrap to avoid steam burns, and they are ready to eat.

How to Make the Hotteok-Style Cakes

The process is the same as the anman until you shape the dough into buns filled with sweet bean paste.

Then flatten the buns with your hands or a spatula until they become thin and flat.

Cook them in a frying pan like pancakes, turning both sides over. They are slightly pan-fried rather than simply baked.

The anman takes only 3 minutes in the microwave, while the hotteok-style cakes take about 5–6 minutes total to cook on both sides, depending on the heat.

Previously, I always made four anman, but although the hotteok-style version takes a little longer to cook, changing the shape and cooking method gives them a completely different texture, and they were delicious too. 😊

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にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング

⑰My Faith Journey: A Difficult Season (En)

(After changing jobs, I was blessed with the work itself, but for the first time I struggled with human relationships. In my suffering, God felt distant. Yet He had never abandoned me.)

From around the time I joined my second company, a series of severe trials began. Everything in my life seemed to be going wrong. I may never have felt such deep despair before. The Lord allowed me to be thrown into a storm in order to help me grow.

It was a painful time—caught between a struggle with myself, my faith in God, and the realities of the world. Until then, Jesus had always felt close to me, like someone right by my side. But now, it felt as if He had gone far away.

In truth, I had become a slave to my work and had begun living a worldly life. When my own desires and self-will grew too strong, the Holy Spirit became quiet and no longer worked openly within me. Instead of seeking God’s will, I began deciding everything on my own.

For the first time, I struggled with human relationships. Until then, I had lived in an environment where being loved by others felt natural. I had never experienced being disliked or ignored. I also came to realize for the first time that not everything I said would be received positively.

It was not a large company, but there was a small group, and people seemed to gather around one particular woman. I am not the type of person who flatters or tries to win favor, so I often felt out of place. I truly wanted to get along with everyone. However, there was one woman who deliberately provoked me. I felt uncomfortable, and I could not respect her as a person. I found myself unable to like her.

This caused me great distress, because I knew I was going against Jesus’ teaching: “Love your enemies.” I cried and prayed over and over again. “Jesus, I cannot love her, no matter how hard I try. Why can I not love like You do? Lord, please help me to love her.” There were times I even beat my chest as I prayed. Eventually, she moved far away with her family and left the company.

There were too many struggles to describe in detail, but in the midst of my weakness, Satan crept into my heart and tried to use my suffering to destroy me and separate me from Jesus.

One Christmas Eve, I went with a friend to a church attended by a Chinese Christian she knew. For Christians, it should have been the most joyful day. While everyone around me was shining with joy, I alone felt dark and heavy. I was overwhelmed by loneliness and despair, and I even wished I could die.

I wondered if Jesus had abandoned me.

But deep down, I knew why I had come to that place. I felt that Jesus had been guiding me to walk on the safe path to the right. Yet I had stubbornly chosen to walk to the left, not realizing it was a path leading to destruction.

Life became unbearable, and I offered what I thought would be my “final prayer” to Jesus.

“Jesus, thank You for loving me all this time. I’m sorry for being so selfish. I know that if I die, I will go to hell. But the pain is too much—I don’t think I can endure it any longer.”

As I prayed with tears, perhaps for the first time in a long while with true earnestness, I felt completely miserable and worthless.

Then suddenly, a thought came from above—like a word spoken directly into my heart:

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:11-12 NIV)

熱心で、うむことなく、霊に燃え、主に仕え、 望みをいだいて喜び、患難に耐え、常に祈りなさい。（ローマ人への手紙 12:11-12 口語訳）

In that instant, I knew that Jesus had reached out and caught me, just as I was about to step off the edge. He had not abandoned me.

I could not stop my tears. In that moment, my heart was completely changed. My despair and sorrow were transformed into joy and gratitude.

At the New Year’s Day service, we received a “gift verse” in a sealed envelope. I was astonished to find that it was exactly the same verse.

Through this, I came to understand what Jesus was asking of me. And I resolved never to grieve Him again.

------ 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

A Reunion After a Long Time — Singing Opera at Karaoke 🎵 (En)

　　　　　　　

Last Saturday, I went to a concert by graduates of a music college—something I rarely do. It was also my first time back at Oji Hall in a while. The program was quite varied, including vocal music, piano, flute, and even koto, performed by people of different ages.

Since I was alone, I prayed that I would have a meaningful time and, if it was God’s will, meet someone I knew. To my surprise, I ran into my former classmates at the venue, and we enjoyed spending time together after the concert.

We first went to a retro-style café, where I chose a yogurt parfait—slightly less guilty, perhaps. Then, as if it were their tradition, we walked from Ginza toward Yurakucho looking for a karaoke place. That walk itself was a joyful time. 😊

         

At karaoke, I realized I could mostly sing only old Japanese songs, the Carpenters, the Beatles, and maybe Queen—with difficulty. Even when I raised the key, things didn’t go well. 😅

Then I found two arias: “Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore” from Tosca and “O mio babbino caro.” Since I had practiced vocalization just two days earlier, I somehow managed to sing them. Opera requires so much breath that I was already sweating after just one song!

About 20 years ago, I had the chance to see Tosca in Prague at the Prague State Opera.

This is the Prague State Opera.

       I watched from a box seat, and the ticket cost less than 5,000 yen, which surprised me.

The ceiling was also beautiful.

The opera was sung in Italian, but the subtitles were in Czech, so I barely understood anything. 😅 I almost fell asleep, but I clearly remember staying wide awake during “Vissi d’arte.”

Prague is one of my favorite cities. I’ve been there twice—once with a childhood friend and once alone. If I go again, I would like to fly there with someone. 😊

If you’re interested, I wrote more about this trip (in Japanese) with additional old photos here:

http://www2.gol.com/users/heidi/diary/europe2006-1.html



にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング