July, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
227
I waited, but I did not feel anything. Perhaps I did not ask correctly. Mr. Hayashi will tell me further when I see him again. He asked me to pray and I promised him, now I can tell him I did do it. M a r c h 27. One o f Uncle’s neighbors has changed his location, and another party has arrived to live in that house. So we re ceived today the ticket to buy buckwheat noodles at the restaurant, as is custom for people to give when they move into new place. We had the noodles for supper, and they were very delicious as I had not happened to eat in a long time. A Chinese boy by name, Mr. Liu, came to Bible class tonight. He was so funny and smiling, though he said afterward his mother is dead and father also killed in battle. He prayed shorty in English, like a small child, and said, “ Dear Jesus, save me. I believe in You and wish to be forgiven o f all sins I have done in my life. I thank You very much.” When we arose, he said, “ Now I am henceforth Christian and very happy.” How could he get into faith so easily? I find in my heart the strong wish to believe, but it is difficult. It is like climbing mountain, and I am not as yet reached to the summit. I told Mr. Hayashi I have not smoked since Sunday night though sometimes I wished to awfully. He gave me much commendation. I thought afterward it was not right to take such from him, for he did not know I could not smoke anyway, as my money went all for that disagreeable glass cake box which I breaked. So it seems I still do wrong things, more and more o f them, which I thought to have entirely ceased. Mr. Hayashi encouraged me to pray more, and I learned from him about seeking, which is to pray with persever ance, determined not to cease until faith comes. S u n d a y . Today Mr. Hayashi came for me in the morning, as his house is very near to mine. W e went to lead Matsu- mura also, but he must go to the city with his uncle and cannot accompany us. The preach was concerning the love of God. One thing sticks firmly in my heart: Suppose a man should feel pity for all the miserable worms in the earth and should be able to become like unto them. Suppose he should so change his body and then, as a worm, should go to live in the dark ground, laboring and working for poor worms, so they
might know visions of light and beauty. But suppose they should misunderstand his mission, yea verily, should hate him, all except a few of them— this becomes then a parallel of the love of Christ expressed for us by His life and death. When I heard this story, I felt more than ever desire to become servant of Him, and my heart was melted as water. Thereafter Mr. Hayashi led me to the missionary’s house once more to borrow a book which should help me. He chose for me Christie’s Old Organ. I did not like to take so easy English book, but he explained that, in reli gious affairs, I should read comfortably and not as a stu dent, with dictionary and notebook. So I acquiesced. While there, I saw the McEdward children which are two. The boy is about five and very bright-eyed, with dark hair as the mother, curly every way. The girl is yet an infant and delicate, but very pretty child. They have a good maid who attends them always. I wished to play ball on the grounds with the boy, but he said tomorrow he could, and that he did not play ball on Sunday. I wonder why he do not. Foreigners have many strange ways and customs. I could see there the table arranged for dinner, and it is much as in a restaurant. I f they eat only bread each day and never rice, how can they keep the abdomen from feeling empty ? At length the rain has ceased and tonight is clear, so perhaps tomorrow my washed clothes will be able to dry. The moon could be seen, and it is warmer than before, so I put on the highest clogs and walked alone in the field near. My heart felt sad and lonely, and I wished for the revela tion o f God to me as Christie had in that book. That was so good story, and I shall always remember the prayer in it, “ Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” I could see from the field the perfect pureness of Mt. Fuji’s snows, and it reminded me more and more o f that prayer. A pril 4. I found another John in the end part o f my little Bible, very short and in three parts, so I read some o f him. A good word fastened to my searching eyes: “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” My thoughts were so continuing on it that even in a dream I heard it said in my ear. It seemed as a peaceful plaster laid on my sore heart. A t Bible class, of course, I told about it to Mr. Haya shi, and he said the fire was. lighted within me, and I- must fan it with three fans, that is to say, prayer, Bible reading, and testimony. He said we would make be ginning at once and” tell o f it to ¿he teacher. I felt abashed, but already he was calling him, so I reiterated to him the word o f John.
/ could'see . . . the perfect pureness of Mt. Fuji’s snows.
Courtesy n . y . K. line
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