So I haven't posted in awhile and though I want to say
something like oh I was busy saving kittens blah blah blah but really I've just
been lazy haha. Also refreshingness isn't a real word but I haven't used real
English more than like 3 times the past month so we'll just have to get over
it.
For a basically summary of what's been happening since
the last post, it can be summed up in a few sentences.
1. Wake up too early
2. Sweat because it's too hot and humid
3. Go to work and sweat because it's too hot and humid
4. Pay for a too expensive electricity bill running the
AC
5. Smile at least once a day
6. Repeat for 3 months
I don't have thoughts often, besides stupid funny ones,
so usually it's not enough to warrant breaking my laziness to actually write
something reasonable down. But God's been showing me something recently here so
I wanted to jot it down.
Living in Japan is hard. Living in America is also hard
sometimes, but at least I have the freedom to go to the bathroom when I want.
As some of you might know I'm not really a tourist, and I don't really have
that excitement factor of seeing new places and taking pictures of everything.
I went on like a 2 week trip around Japan and when I took out my phone to show
some friends I realized the only picture I had taken was of one sign in Nara
that said "Black Music". So for me here is similar to just living a
normal life, except 90% of the people don't understand what I'm saying (It's
only 80% in the States).
Recently those thoughts have all coagulated together into
this kind of like gnawing worry about my future and what the heck I'm supposed
to do whether in the States or here. And along with that surprisingly was a
worry about material possessions, which hasn't really been one of my struggles.
This all culminated in a week that was spent worrying and stressing over things
way out of my control and having a pretty bad week altogether. But God brought
me out of it with a few choice words from some friends and a peace in my heart.
And it was really fast too, like I thought it would take me awhile to get over
things, but one day I just was like oh right God is in charge, one day at a time
and now it feels good.
Anyways that's not what this is about. This is about
refreshingness! Like that feeling you get when you drink a nice cup of tea or
win a million dollars. In my hard times I started praying for God's grace
daily, just telling Him that even just for today it seems really rough, and I
need His blessings in order to get by with everything. And it WORKED! And I was
like, God are you sure you want to start answering my prayers, it's a slippery
slope you don't know what I'll be asking for next.
Like for instance this past week I had to teach a special
lesson I thought was going to be pretty demanding and was praying about it. But
it turns out that class was canceled along with a few others and I never have
to teach it again wooo! And one of my schools put in a real toilet (finally)
and I discovered it right before a difficult class. And more and more of these
little things that result in my day being good and opportunities to see His
light in Japan.
What's crazy is I actually started worrying about it.
Like God you gave me this toilet yesterday, but today what toilet am I going to
get? Do I get a toilet? Are you going to provide?
God's pockets are never empty. No matter how much He
gives, each and every day there is more and more Grace freely and generously
given. So I learned a few lessons with
this. One is that you can't control even the near future, all is provided and
planned for the Savior. It sometimes feels like it's even trying to pick up
sand, everything just falls through, and that's because we're not supposed to.
And second is that I gotta pray. When I
don't pray sincerely I feel that far less happens for me than when I do
sincerely give my worries and hopes to God. Every day I see His hand at work
I'm like okay I can do this, God is with me today, this is going to work out.
Alright that's my big thought for the year. Moving on I
guess I should talk a little bit about Japan stuff. Gosh let me think. Well
okay I went on vacation during the summer to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Kobe and
Tochigi. I have to say the highlight of my trip was definitely burger king and
uh seeing friends I guess. But seriously burger king, they were doing this
special spicy chicken burger that was fantastic and I believe made with real
chicken but who really knows. And they did this drawing where you could get
free stuff. The first time I won a free avocado topping but you had to come
back on another day so we returned to burger king a second time. The second
time I won a TOTE BAG AND 50% OFF, so we had to go back again. But it turns out it was a TOTE BAG or 50 % OFF and
I picked 50% off so..sad :(. But anyways they got rid of the red burger and did
this crazy all black burger made with squid ink that was meh so I guess that's
my vacation. Oh and my friend got bit by a deer that was great.
School here is just school. Food's okay.
Church has been really good. God really provided
opportunities for me to get closer to the church people and so it's been a
really big blessing. It's always nice to be able to fellowship and share with
other Christians and having that is super cool.
Btw I don't know if I mentioned it but IT'S BEEN REALLY
REALLY HOT. I didn't know that it was possible that temperatures like this
could exist outside out living on the sun's surface but there you have it. Also
in one of my schools there are spiders that jump. Gotta make a note to ask God
about that, like they already crawl really fast why do they also need aerial
abilities? Were you trying to make a spider or superman?
