Godmothers

One of the things I am most grateful to my godmother for was giving me a printed version of 1 Corinthians 13, which I had hanging on my bedroom wall for my childhood from about the age of 7 onwards. I could see it from my bed, and I would read it. This passage is spelling out what love is. The words, 'Love remembers no wrongs' come to my mind today, trying to strike home to my heart, but my stomach tightens, and my heart's blood almost bubbles up, squeezing them back up to the cerebral, painfully.

Carol, my godmother, was a Christian. No doubt she prayed for me; she also gave me and my mum Bible study booklets for kids, to read together, which was my introduction to a relationship with this person called Jesus who the author seemed to love. It worked! I wanted to know Jesus too! Carol is now with the Lord, as she moved on there from the age of 43 or thereabouts. Maybe I can also give Samuel, who I am now responsile for, the words of life one day soon.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.

Dreaming in context

A busy two weeks is ahead: tomorrow kanji test, Tuesday grammer test, next week mid-term tests. But I still had time to go out for a walk by the river in the dusk just now, and was met at the end of my walk by Winston, one of my (many) housemates, and we then went for another stroll and talked about life. He is interesting, as he studies philosophy back home in the States. We talked about my future ideas for missionary work in Japan (whether I will be the one to do it or not is another matter, but I have it in mind that someone should). Those topics were family breakdown/recovery, and suicide rates/counselling. He asked some good questions, like "Who's to say that the Japanese businessman's way of loving his wife by paying the rent and providing financially (even though he works til 11pm at night and doesn't attempt to meet his wife's emotional needs) isn't 'love' in Japanese culture?" and "Doesn't the Western way of marriage standards (whether they're met or not is a different question) have problems in thier own right?" It has given me loads to think about in terms of interacting with a different culture, as well as a desire to plan my future at some strateic point so that I do know where I'm going. I do think it's beautiful and 'right'to live each day as it comes, and see what God throws up for us, I have thought about that quite a bit recently (God-led I think). But I also think for some fulfilment of dreams we need training in certain areas, and that requires some thought. I'm lucky now to be in the period before having to step forward; I can listen to the world about me, and learn in my heart, and dream without having to see those dreams as yet disapppointed or fulfilled.