If you have been at Mt Olive for a long time, you might have heard my testimony. (I am not a public speaker. My heart starts pounding so hard and loud I wonder if anyone can hear me. Public speaking is not my gift, so sorry if you had to endure it.) God placed this on my heart to this and did not let up. Oddly enough Pastor Barry even agreed to let me do this. It had to be a God thing.
I was born in Hawaii. I am a fourth generation Japanese-American. Grandma owned a Kona coffee plantation on the coast of Kealakekua Bay. (Say that fast 3 times.) My mom is originally from Japan and was raised Buddhist. My dad was born and raised in Hawaii. He was not a practicing Buddhist, but all weddings and funerals were at a Buddhist temple. You know the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association)? My dad was a boxer in the YBA, Young Buddhist Association.
I was born in Hawaii. I am a fourth generation Japanese-American. Grandma owned a Kona coffee plantation on the coast of Kealakekua Bay. (Say that fast 3 times.) My mom is originally from Japan and was raised Buddhist. My dad was born and raised in Hawaii. He was not a practicing Buddhist, but all weddings and funerals were at a Buddhist temple. You know the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association)? My dad was a boxer in the YBA, Young Buddhist Association.
Strangely (now I know it was our Lord and Savior) I was sent to a Methodist Sunday school with my older brothers when I was four years old. I stayed in church and Sunday school until my mid teen years. I don’t ever remember anyone talking about an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I remember a lot of does and don’t, but that was about it.
Jump forward about 30 years with college, active duty Air Force, three beautiful kids, divorce, and ending up in Arkansas. The Lord suddenly surrounded me with awesome godly people and I gave my life to Christ after 30 years of totally ignoring Him.
My audacious faith prayer soon after becoming a follower of Christ was that my kids would also accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. By this time their ages ranged from 12 to 20 years old. They had been to some church services with friends on a very few occasions, but that was it. I never took them to church. We never talked about God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit at home. How was this going to work?
I like plans and strategies. I did ask them to come to church with me. I think each of them came once and said they would not go again. I wanted a “to do” list, step by step instructions. I remember thinking up elaborate plans to get them to know Jesus, but realized they were ridiculous plans. I can’t force anyone to accept Christ. It is a personal choice. We each have our own relationship, one on one, with Christ.
One day in prayer I felt that the Lord had spoken to my heart to just be faithful to Him and He would do the rest. So, the strategy was to seek the Lord in my life, read and meditate on scripture, meet with my life group regularly, be the best mom I could be, be a good example for my kids, and be a blessing to someone, anyone, as I felt led. I failed constantly, but I did what I could. Sometimes I wondered if they would come to know the Lord. God certainly was on His own time schedule, not mine. I think part of the wait was the season of molding me into a better mom to help lead my kids.
Psalm 37:4 comes to mind, NIV and The Message. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” And, “Keep company with God, get in on the best.” My greatest desire, my greatest hope, of my heart was for my kids to know Jesus Christ. The Lord put the right situations, people, and things, in their lives. All of my kids have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. How awesome is our God! Our Lord is faithful!
-Shirley
To read other entries in the Sun Stand Still blog, please click here
Jump forward about 30 years with college, active duty Air Force, three beautiful kids, divorce, and ending up in Arkansas. The Lord suddenly surrounded me with awesome godly people and I gave my life to Christ after 30 years of totally ignoring Him.
My audacious faith prayer soon after becoming a follower of Christ was that my kids would also accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. By this time their ages ranged from 12 to 20 years old. They had been to some church services with friends on a very few occasions, but that was it. I never took them to church. We never talked about God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit at home. How was this going to work?
I like plans and strategies. I did ask them to come to church with me. I think each of them came once and said they would not go again. I wanted a “to do” list, step by step instructions. I remember thinking up elaborate plans to get them to know Jesus, but realized they were ridiculous plans. I can’t force anyone to accept Christ. It is a personal choice. We each have our own relationship, one on one, with Christ.
One day in prayer I felt that the Lord had spoken to my heart to just be faithful to Him and He would do the rest. So, the strategy was to seek the Lord in my life, read and meditate on scripture, meet with my life group regularly, be the best mom I could be, be a good example for my kids, and be a blessing to someone, anyone, as I felt led. I failed constantly, but I did what I could. Sometimes I wondered if they would come to know the Lord. God certainly was on His own time schedule, not mine. I think part of the wait was the season of molding me into a better mom to help lead my kids.
Psalm 37:4 comes to mind, NIV and The Message. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” And, “Keep company with God, get in on the best.” My greatest desire, my greatest hope, of my heart was for my kids to know Jesus Christ. The Lord put the right situations, people, and things, in their lives. All of my kids have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. How awesome is our God! Our Lord is faithful!
-Shirley
To read other entries in the Sun Stand Still blog, please click here
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