Got a bite.

Anna Sherod in Kessenuma – May 22, 2012

Sometimes, you go fishing, and it’s just nice to be in nature but there’s not a lot of excitement. The fish aren’t biting, so you chalk it up to a relaxing or frustrating experience (depending on your mood) and just move on.

TODAY IS NOT ONE OF THOSE DAYS.

So this morning, I opened the center by myself, which is unusual. We have an event coming up this afternoon, so my thoughts were preoccupied with that and breakfast. Mostly breakfast. However, the phone was ringing off the hook – students canceling class, students scheduling class, “do we want to do a presentation on American culture for a juku?”… one of the callers asked if I had a minute to chat in English. “Of course,” I said, but we have class/events solid from 2-9 tonight so would he mind coming in the morning? He lives an hour away, but he said he’d be on his way.

This is where it gets a little crazy.

He seemed really distracted and unable to focus on his English book, so I switched to Japanese and gave him a break.He told me that he had not enjoyed the hike yesterday. I was kind of shocked. He explained that he was harboring the anger of a past grievance toward another member of the Kessenuma Toastmasters group and in light of Jesus command to “Love your Enemies,” he was frustrated that he could not get rid of that anger.

He blustered some other things about being an old fisherman that got angry easily, about not having any interest in the deeper, intricate answers to live that Christ brings, about how glad he was that he’d met such nice Christian girls because his main interest was speaking in English.

“You know, I might just become Christian to speak English,” he quipped.

He played it off as he tried to find out where all the LECC churches were located, asking if it would help him study for the English Exam to go to a National (native Japanese) Pastor’s Church. “Does Pastor Nideiera speak English?”

I showed him the list of the Lutheran Churches in Japan that I know about, and told him, “We do watch the Tokyo Aganai Service here, on the computer on Sunday mornings…it’s in Japanese”

Then he said he’d come,

“Just to observe,” and said, ”I’m getting really weighed down by Buddhism, the only time people are Buddhist is when they die…I might really become a Christian.”

He looked really happy, but like he needed a break from thinking. By this point Ruth had gotten back to the center so she’d gotten to see the tail end of all this.

“Do you want to keep going with your English?“

“I’ll see you Sunday for Church.”

…Sometimes, you go fishing, and God just throws fish at you.

We’ve spent all morning celebrating.

Read more at WELS Christian Aid and Relief