TO GET OUT!!!! Again! Believe it or not, I think it was a year ago, that I found myself trying to get out of my apartment and holding a doorknob in my hand. Well. . . yesterday morning as I was struggling to get to schooll - once again I found myself STUCK in my apartment. Allow me to tell you about my first day at school:
I was excited to begin my day with a nice bike ride. Unfortunately, the ride was VERY short. As I started up the hill by school, I went to switch gears. All of a sudden, the chain came off! I had to walk back to school and park the bike and opt for a prayerful walk instead.
While I was walking, I had put some rice in a rice cooker for lunch. When I got home, it was still all liquid. I assumed that I had forgotten to push cook, so I tried again. It lasted only two minutes on the cook cycle and then flipped over to warm. I tried this three times and eventually gave up and unplugged the machine. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't have any lunch for the day, but that was a minor problem.
Then, I tried to get out my door to go to school and prepare for the first day. Unfortunately, I couldn't open my door. I tried everything I could think of, but the doorknob just woulnd't open the door. I had to call a neighbor to let me out!
Once released (and free) I managed to get into the cafeteria to ensure Chapel was set up and ready. For some reason, the projector wouldn't talk to the computer! I had to find someone to help me fix that glitch.
Then, surprisingly still with joy in my heart, it was finally time for the kids to come. Chapel didn't go quite as I had planned, but the atmosphere was very good. The kids were willing to participate and seemed to enjoy it. I fell in love with my class immediately. What an amazing, sensitive, sweet, and kind group of kids I get to work with!
After school, I came home because I had to run a few errands for my students. I had learned of some needs and decided to pick things up at the 100 yen store. I was so proud of myself because I remembered NOT to shut my door fully. I placed a shoe in the door to prop it open. I changed clothes and got ready to rush out. I was going to take a different car simply because it is important to start cars and use them at least once a week over here. I was going to give a different car a spin yesterday. Well, as I got down to the car, I learned that the left rear tire was locked. It was as though the break wouldn't release it! I couldn't make it spin at all. Oye....What else?
I gave up with that car and decided to go back up to my apartment to switch keys. Unfortunately, I forgot to prop the door open this time. Oh no. . . when I went to get out, the doorknob came off in my hand! JUST LIKE LAST YEAR! What is with me and doors over here? Anyway, I sat and tried to jimmy the door for a while, but eventually gave up and started to call various apartments just seeking someone to release me from my apartment of bondage. I found a gal, Gay Grenninger. She came down to let me out. She also decided to go find a screwdriver and we found a way to release a pin so I could escape should it continue to happen. My neighber on the other side also came out and he helped me reconnect the doorknob so I could get out!
It was quite an adventure! I found myself reflecting on the day a lot! There are SO many spiritual applications of that story. One that stands out to me is the imagery of freedom that Christians face in Jesus. Yes, I know the verse in Revelations talks about how Jesus stands at our door and knocks for us to allow Him into our lives, but bear with me for a moment. I started thinking about how when we accept Him as our Savior, we are set free from our bondage of sin.
Over here, there are these HUGE gutters next to the roads. They are wide enough that if a tire were to pass over it, it would fall in. I have been told to always watch those "Gutters of death" as one of the missionary teachers here refers to them. Some of these gutters are overgrown with weeds and other normal roadside stuff, so it looks just like a roadway. People accidentally drive into them and their whole car can flip.
I started to compare my trials (which were minimal) yesterday to the gutters of death. In all of our lives there are problems, bumps, pits that we can fall into. Things want to steal our freedom that we have in Jesus. Then, I started to think of Jesus as the road. The Bible says He is the Way the Truth and the Life no one comes to the Father but through Him. So, following the road is like following Jesus. I have freedom to drive anywhere on that road as long as I am ON that road! I have joy and safety in travel. (There still will be speed bumps, rocky areas, road construction, and problems, but I am safe and secure on that road.) I need to not let the gutters of death steal my joy or trap me (or any of my students.)
In the evening, Max had his boat in the water and asked a few of us if we would like to go out on the boat snorkeling! I can never turn that down. It was predicted to be a rather bumpy/wavy ride, so I was a little cautious. Aidy, who came along, knew that I LOVE to sit in the bow of the boat and asked me why I wasn't sitting up there. Once I knew it was safe enough, I climbed to the bow and let my legs dangle right over the front. I could feel the splash of the waves hitting my feet,, feel the rise and fall of the swells, feel the breeze blow through my hair, and watch teh beautiful landscape that the Lord created go by. Let me tell you, if that is what it feels like to be "FREE" in Jesus, I think we should all desire that!
May this day find you walking in freedom with your Lord and Savior! I rejoice in the bumps I had today - minor though they may have been - and I rejoice that I didn't let those bumps lead me into the "gutter of death." They did not steal my joy!
TO GET OUT!!!! Again! Believe it or not, I think it was a year ago, that I found myself trying to get out of my apartment and holding a doorknob in my hand. Well. . . yesterday morning as I was struggling to get to schooll - once again I found myself STUCK in my apartment. Allow me to tell you about my first day at school:
I was excited to begin my day with a nice bike ride. Unfortunately, the ride was VERY short. As I started up the hill by school, I went to switch gears. All of a sudden, the chain came off! I had to walk back to school and park the bike and opt for a prayerful walk instead.
While I was walking, I had put some rice in a rice cooker for lunch. When I got home, it was still all liquid. I assumed that I had forgotten to push cook, so I tried again. It lasted only two minutes on the cook cycle and then flipped over to warm. I tried this three times and eventually gave up and unplugged the machine. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't have any lunch for the day, but that was a minor problem.
Then, I tried to get out my door to go to school and prepare for the first day. Unfortunately, I couldn't open my door. I tried everything I could think of, but the doorknob just woulnd't open the door. I had to call a neighbor to let me out!
Once released (and free) I managed to get into the cafeteria to ensure Chapel was set up and ready. For some reason, the projector wouldn't talk to the computer! I had to find someone to help me fix that glitch.
Then, surprisingly still with joy in my heart, it was finally time for the kids to come. Chapel didn't go quite as I had planned, but the atmosphere was very good. The kids were willing to participate and seemed to enjoy it. I fell in love with my class immediately. What an amazing, sensitive, sweet, and kind group of kids I get to work with!
After school, I came home because I had to run a few errands for my students. I had learned of some needs and decided to pick things up at the 100 yen store. I was so proud of myself because I remembered NOT to shut my door fully. I placed a shoe in the door to prop it open. I changed clothes and got ready to rush out. I was going to take a different car simply because it is important to start cars and use them at least once a week over here. I was going to give a different car a spin yesterday. Well, as I got down to the car, I learned that the left rear tire was locked. It was as though the break wouldn't release it! I couldn't make it spin at all. Oye....What else?
I gave up with that car and decided to go back up to my apartment to switch keys. Unfortunately, I forgot to prop the door open this time. Oh no. . . when I went to get out, the doorknob came off in my hand! JUST LIKE LAST YEAR! What is with me and doors over here? Anyway, I sat and tried to jimmy the door for a while, but eventually gave up and started to call various apartments just seeking someone to release me from my apartment of bondage. I found a gal, Gay Grenninger. She came down to let me out. She also decided to go find a screwdriver and we found a way to release a pin so I could escape should it continue to happen. My neighber on the other side also came out and he helped me reconnect the doorknob so I could get out!
It was quite an adventure! I found myself reflecting on the day a lot! There are SO many spiritual applications of that story. One that stands out to me is the imagery of freedom that Christians face in Jesus. Yes, I know the verse in Revelations talks about how Jesus stands at our door and knocks for us to allow Him into our lives, but bear with me for a moment. I started thinking about how when we accept Him as our Savior, we are set free from our bondage of sin.
Over here, there are these HUGE gutters next to the roads. They are wide enough that if a tire were to pass over it, it would fall in. I have been told to always watch those "Gutters of death" as one of the missionary teachers here refers to them. Some of these gutters are overgrown with weeds and other normal roadside stuff, so it looks just like a roadway. People accidentally drive into them and their whole car can flip.
I started to compare my trials (which were minimal) yesterday to the gutters of death. In all of our lives there are problems, bumps, pits that we can fall into. Things want to steal our freedom that we have in Jesus. Then, I started to think of Jesus as the road. The Bible says He is the Way the Truth and the Life no one comes to the Father but through Him. So, following the road is like following Jesus. I have freedom to drive anywhere on that road as long as I am ON that road! I have joy and safety in travel. (There still will be speed bumps, rocky areas, road construction, and problems, but I am safe and secure on that road.) I need to not let the gutters of death steal my joy or trap me (or any of my students.)
In the evening, Max had his boat in the water and asked a few of us if we would like to go out on the boat snorkeling! I can never turn that down. It was predicted to be a rather bumpy/wavy ride, so I was a little cautious. Aidy, who came along, knew that I LOVE to sit in the bow of the boat and asked me why I wasn't sitting up there. Once I knew it was safe enough, I climbed to the bow and let my legs dangle right over the front. I could feel the splash of the waves hitting my feet,, feel the rise and fall of the swells, feel the breeze blow through my hair, and watch teh beautiful landscape that the Lord created go by. Let me tell you, if that is what it feels like to be "FREE" in Jesus, I think we should all desire that!
May this day find you walking in freedom with your Lord and Savior! I rejoice in the bumps I had today - minor though they may have been - and I rejoice that I didn't let those bumps lead me into the "gutter of death." They did not steal my joy!
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