I’m writing a story today after a long break because I’ve felt to share Father’s heart with you.
Most of us eagerly want to hear ‘the voice of God’, yet many of us failed to hear Him. Why? This one thing I’m certain about, many of us don’t obey what He tells us. What do I mean by that? We can definitely hear Him saying to us, but we don’t do it because it requires us to give up ‘what we feel like right to do’ rather than ‘what He wants us to do’. Well, you can keep thinking of what I’ve just said while reading the following.
Ogi was born in Japan but a Korean. She is a single mum of a four-year-old girl and a lawyer for human rights. She came here with her daughter to get a master’s degree in Law after her course. We were connected because I have been helping her with a baby-sitting twice a week while she is in class. She has faced several challenges one after another since she arrived here. Last month, she was kicked out by her landowner with a 20-minute notice although she has already paid her monthly rent and even didn’t know where she had to go for the night. Thankfully and immediately, she got a help from a retired (or never retired) missionary who had served in Japan and stayed in her house for a while until she has recently moved to a new place. On the bright side, I believe that the challenges have helped her trust God stronger than before. Indeed, I’ve found that she started to follow Jesus just few years ago due to her divorce. When a Japanese claims that s/he is a Christian, s/he is genuine as we consider that only 0.2% of the total population in Japan are Christians. When Ogi faced the challenges, she believed that they happened to her because she had left her church in Japan to study overseas. Her pastor said to her that if she would leave the church, God would punish her. O Lord, forgive her pastor who cursed her like that! The worst thing was that she was kicked out with her daughter the night before her birthday. So, my family quickly planned to celebrate her belated birthday the day after her birthday. Here are her own text messages afterwards, ‘Thanks a lot!! I really felt it was God’s hand, I am not good at explaining my feelings but so thanks for your family’s love which is God’s love. I do remember today and I decided to make my faith stronger.’
In the meantime, we were in the process of decision-making on whether you will do ‘Operation Christmas Child’ (the project of Samaritan’s Purse; https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child) this year. In my quiet time next morning, I heard a voice with a flashback of the joyous moment, ‘You (plural) were just able to fill one single shoebox three years ago. Remember how much you were grateful that you (plural) had filled the eight shoeboxes the following year and what you said to Me. Remember how your love gifts would touch the children when you (plural) pray over the shoeboxes before sending them out.’ So, we prepared all stuff to fill the eight shoeboxes and invited Ogi and her daughter to join us as shown in the video below. Indeed, Ogi was so thankful for partaking in the event.
Most of us know the good Samaritan story (Luke 10:25-37) very well, but none of us know what happened to the traveller who got a help from the anonymous Samaritan afterwards. Do you think that he also became a good helper like the Samaritan? Then do you think that Ogi will become a good Samaritan later on? Why do I strongly feel that the name of Samaritan Purse sounds like a prophecy to her then? Has God planed this for her to become a good Samaritan? If so, did I obey His voice?
Story written by Hana
