Project Ezra - Joshua 24

Last week, I felt convicted that I need to invest more of myself in the people I meet and the time I spend reading God's word in public. I've been praying that I can love people more and more, as an overflow of the love God has shown me. I was also looking at some maps of the city this week and noticed two more, smaller parks. This weekend, I went out on Monday afternoon, because I had gone to an orchestra concert with some Japanese friends on Sunday evening, and anyway, Sunday and Monday are my days off.

At 3:30 I prayed, then set out alone on my bicycle. I went to Suido koen first, as usual, praying that this time I would have the courage to invite anyone I should meet to listen to God's word. As I made my "praise lap" around the park, I noticed some garbage in the form of discarded cigarettes and a lighter, so after I completed one lap, I walked through the middle, back to the spot. One had been smoked, there were a few others unlit. Kids experimenting? I wondered at it. Regardless of who had left them there, I picked up all the garbage in the vicinity, prayed blessings of repentance and saving faith over whomever had left them there, put them in a garbage can near the park entrance, and also prayed for whomever the person is who empties the garbage.

As I walked to the spot where I normally stand to read, I saw a lady walking her dog, who very cordially greeted me and asked me if I was out for a walk. I told her, that and to read God's word aloud, would she like to listen? Her pasted-on smile quickly transformed into a glazed over, smile-like expression as she said nothing and walked away. Then I stood up and read as usual. I could hear the TV volume go up a notch in one of the nearby houses.

Next, I rode my bicycle farther south (Suido koen is south of my apartment) to the other new park I had found. I had never gone in there before, and wasn't sure how much I'd be able to do. There is a nursery school right next to it on one side, and on another side there is a baseball field where some elementary school boys were playing or practicing. As I parked my bicycle near the entrance of the little playground, a small boy of about 4 came up to me and asked me where I was from, and why I was parking my bike there. I told him I had just come from Shirone, and asked him if there was a better place to park it. In hindsight, I wish I had told him that I had come to the park to read God's word, because I think that's what he really wanted to know. We chit-chatted briefly, and then I walked around the park, this time singing Jesus Loves Me. Two-thirds of the way around, I sat down on a park bench and began reading Joshua 24 aloud. The little boy, his mother, and his baby brother were playing nearby the majority of the time.

Then I rode around, through the center of town, past the big Suzuki Butsudan, a very famous shop that sells Buddhist home altars and gravestones, all the while singing Revelation Song. I made my way up to Jido park, which I've circled on my bicycle about three times this week, the last time was just after lunch today. On the way, I prayed that I would be able to talk to people. I parked my bike on the far side and began to walk through, praising. Two girls were sitting on the swings and talking, and one of them recognized me as I approached. As I got close enough, I recognized her as one of my former students. We chatted for a while about all kinds of things, in Japanese, and invariably she asked what I was doing at the park. I told her that, because of the incredible amount of peace in my life, I wanted to share it with whomever would listen, so I had come to read the bible. She asked me what the bible was, and I explained that it's a collection of writings of what God has done for mankind over many years, that even though many different people wrote it, it's all the same story of God's love for us, through the nation of Israel. Our conversation didn't get too much deeper than that, and I offered her one of my Gideon New Testaments, but she didn't want to take it. I told them where I was planning to read, that I would be reading from Joshua, where they've arrived in the land of Israel and Joshua is asking them if they will serve the Lord or other gods. We chatted a little while longer, then I said it was good to see her, and we said goodbye. I finished my praise lap, also thanking God for the opportunity to see hearts begin to be stirred. I went to the same spot as last time, and stood up on the thing at first, but then remembered that the tree was hanging in my eyes last time too, so I decided to sit again. As I read, three young boys came in and started playing soccer in the small field there, and every now and then as I read, they would kick the ball near me and come over, so I know they heard a little. After I finished reading, I sat watching them and praying for them a little while before I left.

Although I had a headache throughout, and by this point I needed to use the restroom, I still decided to go on to the fourth park. Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Somethin' Crazy" was in my head: "It's crazy when love gets a hold of you, and it's crazy things that love will make you do. It's crazy but it's true, you really don't know love at all until it's making you do Something Crazy!"
There was no one in the fourth park, but I still completed a praise lap singing Revelation Song quietly, picked up a little bit of garbage, and chose a park bench to sit on. As I read aloud, I could hear someone through their kitchen window in the house behind me, next to the park. After I finished, I biked home, praising a lot, greeting people that I passed, including one young student's dad whom I recognized. When I got home, it was at least 5:30pm.

I'm very tired, but very glad that God has given me this privilege of reading his word in public. I know that it won't return void. Another answer to prayer that I saw today in my own heart, was an increase in mercy. I've been really lacking in the area of mercy lately, but also praying that God would have mercy on these people, as he has had mercy on me, and also to help me display mercy to them. God has been teaching me a lot this year about how it takes time for most of us to come to a place of faith, and then to come to a place of spiritual maturity. For the people of Shirone, it's also going to take time before some of them even come to a place of being able to handle listening to God's word. God, in his mercy, is patient with us all.