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.
にほんブログ村
にほんブログ村
多言語学習ランキング
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