Aaaaand, August

She's three!

“Our limits teach us the fear of the Lord.” (Wilkin, None Like Him, 25) And what are parenting, teaching, engaging with humanity if not constant reminders of our limits? This season we feel the constant presence of our limitations: the edge of patience, the end of energy, the volatility of nature, and the even more terrifying volatility of powerful leaders, and - let’s be honest - the inability to actually control or shape much of anything. 

Amid the fragility, my mind turns to the wonderful midwives in my life, one of whom has just written a book. She gently moves those who seek to follow Jesus from center stage to come alongside God, as a midwife comes alongside a delivery. “So what if we . . . stopped asking the question, ‘How can we put on a special event to draw people into relationship . . . as an expression of the goodness of God?’ and instead ask, ‘What is God doing in the world to connect people, meet needs and express goodness, and how can we join in?’” (Frost, Rice To Alter Your World, 112). Step out of the spotlight we like to shine on ourselves, observe, hold space for the goodness already thriving around us, then ask how we can get involved. 

Watermelon with friends

While many of our daily routines took a break during August, God’s rhythms, of course, continued. Last week, I followed my kids to the park around the corner, where I banished them after the rolling ball of fists and tears rounded the kitchen floor one too many times. After a long, hot day, I was counting the minutes until Ryan came home, and wasn’t in the mood for conversation. But - of course - a woman I recognized was there, playing with her two year old. So I felt obliged to sit for a moment, to be polite. And of course, she happens to be due with her second child in December, and happens to be going to the same midwife who delivered our girls. And of course, lives across the street from a local church. And did we have any connection to that church? No? But did we have connections to another church? Because she has been thinking, maybe it would be good if she learned how to pray. All my limits, teaching me the fear of the Lord. 

CAJ resumed classes last week, with a former teacher stepping into the HS principal role, plus a new annual theme. Each year the community selects a theme to focus classes, school life and school ministry. This year, a theme Ryan suggested was selected: reaching up, reaching out. With both hands raised to God, its hard to reach out to neighbors, but with both hands out, we quickly reach our limits. Please join us in praying for the CAJ community this year: keep one hand focused up toward God and one hand reaching out to our neighbors, our colleagues, our students, our world. 

Fireworks at our neighbor's picnic!

And, an update on our pregnancy! We feel your daily prayers and support as many of you join us in counting the days. There was a long season in which we never thought this little one would make it this far. We’ve safely reached 35 weeks, which means that the baby can likely be born at a local hospital instead of the larger hospital an hour away - especially helpful because Japanese hospitals require a 5 - 10 day stay after delivery. I’ve been allowed more mobility, which is a huge relief to all of us, although the doctors are still cautious and I don’t have a lot of reserves after more than six months of restricted activity and rest. Many unknowns remain in the upcoming weeks as we navigate our first hospital birth in Japan (the other three were born with local midwives), plus the busy schedules of the three different schools we’re part of (CAJ, Japanese elementary school and Japanese pre-school).