(Terumi translating into Japanese at church)

The following is the story of Terumi. She is originally from Okinawa Japan  and currently lives in Anchorage. She and her husband David serve in their church where they are involved in cross- cultural ministry. They regularly minister the love of Jesus to the immigrant communities with mostly Thai, Hmong, and Japanese people in attendance. I found Terumi to be inspirational and powerful long before I knew her story. After you read a little about her, you will see why her life overflows with such joy and love.

 

The following is in her own words…

 

   I was born as the ‘illegitimate’ child of a 44-year old WWII war widow. My biological father had a separate family of his own and so was not a part of my life. My mother was already facing the criticism and rejection of her neighbors in the small village where she lived because she was a poor woman who was already raising six children. She did not want another mouth to feed or any further rejection from her neighbors. My oldest sister was a nurse at the time and agreed to assist my mother in my abortion. They attempted the procedure three times but they were unsuccessful and I was born anyway! Note: Now my sister loves me as if I were her own child, but she still teases me that the reason she was unsuccessful in aborting me was that I was stubborn even before I was born. To me, the situation only serves to confirm God’s deep love for me that He did not let me die.

 

   Psalm 139:13-18 speaks clearly of God’s love for me. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake I am still with you.”

 

   There is a Japanese expression; “I love you so much that if I put you in my eye it wouldn’t hurt.” This expression was made for me because I was loved so much by my four brothers and two sisters and my mother most of all. To some people, since I was an ‘illegitimate’ child, I was not meant to see blessings in this world, but God has surrounded me with people who have loved me throughout my whole 54 years, so far! God has given me a husband who loves God and values me and takes good care of me. He has given me a daughter and son-in-law who are people after God’s own heart. I also have three grandchildren whom I can put in my eyes and it won’t hurt. I am surrounded by Christian brothers and sisters who support me at times even more than my flesh and blood family. I am thankful for all of these blessings, which I know, were ordained for me in God’s book by the one who formed me in my mother’s womb.

 

   I was five years old when I first encountered the living God who loves me and made me. When I was in kindergarten, a young woman from the next village would come and gather the children at the community hall and teach us about Jesus. It was then that I realized that God was my great Father. Not having a biological father present in my life, I was longing to fill this missing void. From the moment I realized that I could pray and talk to Him at any time, I was always joyfully seeking Him and talking to Him. I was so amazed at how God answered my prayers and I remember that childhood joy to this day. It is the same child-like joy, which I had then that I have seen in my students many times as a teacher. In Luke 18:16, it says, “But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Children can easily and honestly respond to the God who made them, as I did.

 

   Even though I once had this childlike response to God, like Adam and Eve, I wandered away from Him. When I was a teenager, I forgot God’s heart and did many bad things and got into much trouble as a result. This made my mother and siblings very sad, but they kept on loving me just the same. Later on I learned about the three attempts to abort me and contrasted that information with the unconditional love I had known in my life, especially in my times of rebellion. It was unimaginable to me. But I know that God had been with during the abortion attempts and throughout my whole life.

 

   Perhaps you or someone you know has felt rejected by a parent? Well, God has something to tell you in the Bible. In Psalm 27:10, it says, “Though my father and mother forsake me, The Lord will receive me.” Then in Isaiah 49:15-16, God reminds us again, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; “And again, in Isaiah 41:9-10. He says, “I took you from the ends of the earth, from the farthest corners I called you. I said, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” These are promises that God has made to His children. A human parent can fail us at times, but God will always remain faithful.

 

   There is a message I believe that God has said to me and He also says to all of us; “I sent my Son Jesus to the cross because you are precious to me and I love you.” You see, all of us are created by God, but we are not necessarily God’s children. Because we are sinful we are separated from God. But God loves us and wants us to be with Him and so, He sent His son Jesus to pay the price for our sins so we can be with Him again. Can you imagine the depth of God’s love that He would sacrifice His own Son for us? It is truly beyond measure. But even though God loves us so much, He will not force Himself into our lives. He waits for us to come to Him and admit we are lost without Him. He wants to wash us clean of all our sin and restore us so we can walk in the joy of being His children. I will tell more later about how to become a child of God.

 

  Now, I would like to tell you about when I came back to God as an adult. I got married at the age of 18 and moved to the US right away. Just over a year later I gave birth to my daughter. Because I was so self-centered and spoiled, I was like a child having a child. My husband wound up having two children, in a sense. In the midst of a stressful marriage/family situation, I lost my beloved mother and grieved that I could no longer be with her. I realized that I only made my mother sad by my actions and before I could make things right with her, she died. I took my sorrow and frustration out on my husband. In a sense, he became my scapegoat. My very mature husband accepted me as I was and was loving and patient with me. It was more unconditional love, and I am thankful for this.

 

   At that time, I was unable to handle my sadness, emptiness, and loneliness, nor my anger at myself. It was at this time that my American neighbor gave me a Japanese Bible (which I still have) and invited me to church. Perhaps most other people who were grieving as I was would have appreciated the gestures of friendship and would have gladly accepted the kindness and gone to church and sought comfort in God. But I instead reacted in anger and spoke against the woman to my husband. At that time, no one was god to me except my mother who had loved me more than anyone else. I don’t mean to say that I worshipped my mother as a god, but I wanted to believe that she was alive as a god somewhere out there. This is what many Okinawans believe happens to someone who dies. I had hardened my heart and had lost touch with the joy of knowing my heavenly Father as I had known as a child.

 

   My stress level increased so greatly that I became neurotic and even developed an ulcer. I wanted to escape so I left my husband and returned to Okinawa with my three-year-old daughter. God had a plan to draw me back to Himself, but it was not to begin with me but rather through my husband. God captured his heart first and he became a Christian while he was feeling lost and lonely without his wife and daughter. The result was that he became EVEN MORE loving! It seemed the depth of his love for us increased and grew more and more. Daily my husband would either phone us or send us letters. Eventually, I relented and returned to my husband in the US. After we returned, my husband and daughter would attend church and they always made sure to invite me and eventually I did go but in my stubbornness, I did not go until after my daughter had accepted Jesus into her heart as Lord and savior. I was the last in our family to receive the Love of Jesus. (My older sister was right; I have always been stubborn.)

 

   For those who have unsaved husbands or unsaved family members, do not be discouraged for God has promised us in Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household.” My husband prayed for me when I was far from God and he saw this scripture come true in our lives. Not only did he pray for me but he actually demonstrated God’s love in how he lived. He showed God’s kindness not only to us but to those around us as well. He used his time to serve the church and our neighbors without taking time away from our family. He actually showed a genuine heart for God and this drew me back to God. So I encourage you, those who have unsaved spouses, live God’s love out before your family and God will use you to draw them to Him. It says in Matthew 5:15-16, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Let you light shine before your family and see what God will do!

 

   Among these wonderful testimonies, I have one more I would like to share. My young daughter was a lot like me, very stubborn and spoiled. In this time of challenges raising my daughter as a new Christian, God showed me this verse: Proverbs 1:8-9, “Listen my son, to your Father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” It sounds like God speaking to a child in these verses doesn’t it? No, these verses were being spoken to me As a Parent. The Lord was showing me how to BE a parent. My words had to be full of the wisdom of God that would be a garland to grace her head and an adornment for her neck. I felt convicted of spoiling my daughter and I repented, realizing that I needed to train her and instruct her in the ways of the Lord’s wisdom.

 

   Then I started to pray over every situation and God began to change ME before He worked on my daughter. He gave me more patience and wisdom and caused my daughter to respond to my discipline more positively. There were times that the Lord protected my daughter from my anger as well. Even when I fell short, the Lord was still at work in both of us.

 

   There is one incident I have never forgotten when she was in junior high school. We were driving one day and my daughter said to me, “Mom, you really have changed a lot. I remember a long time ago when I was younger, you were always frustrated and would yell at me. But now, you are different. You really are a good mother.” When I heard that, I stopped the car and hugged her, crying. Both of us were sobbing. I had been striving to be a good parent ever since that first prayer and now suddenly a huge load had been lifted off my back. I was able to see what God had accomplished. We both praised and thanked God through our tears.

 

   Is there anyone who is struggling with raising children? Well, God has a promise for you! Proverbs 16:3 tells us, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” They succeed because OUR plans really become HIS plans. Commit each day and each situation to Him. Trust Him to work in your child’s heart and He will bring about wonderful results. In my case, I had committed my child to Him, but I failed to stop and see what God was doing and thus cooperate with Him. You don’t have to be like me. My advice to you is that you stop daily to see the results of your prayers so you can walk joyfully each day with victory.

 

   One more thing I want to add is that not only were my husband and I raising our daughter with God’s help, but we had the support of fellow church members who also helped us. I encourage you to bring your children to church to enjoy the support of Christian brothers and sisters in guiding and encouraging your children. (This does not mean SEND your children to church. It means go together as a family.) Remember the verse I quoted earlier, “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to SUCH as these.” God loves children more than anything and He loves the childlike faith of adults as well. God loves your children even more than you do! He loves them and wants them to grow up and walk in His ways- even as God drew me as a young child. He wants them to know Him and walk with Him with wise godly parents who can keep them from slipping away from Him in their teenage years and spare them from shame and regret.

 

   Being a woman in this modern day requires a very special wisdom, more than ever before. Whether you are a wife and a mother or a single woman, we all need God and the wisdom that only He can provide.

 

   Where are you in your life? Does God have a place at the head of your life and your family? If not, then the most important part is missing. God wants to be part of your life and your family’s. He wants to be there to guide you through each day’s challenges and to share in the joys. But it is important that you make the choice to become His child first and then learn how to walk as His child.

 

   To become His child, you need to admit you have sinned and know that Jesus died on the cross to pay for that sin. When you accept God’s gift of forgiveness for your sins, He makes you His child. Then day-by-day as you spend time in God’s word and prayer, He reveals more of His love for you and His will for how you should live and what is best for you. If you want this to take this important step and have this happen in your life then pray like this.

 

   Prayer---Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your incredible love for me. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to pay the penalty for my sin on the cross. I know you allowed Him to die in my place so I could become part of your family. I ask you to forgive me of all my sins and to make me your child. I ask you to come and live in my heart. I ask you to guide me and show me how to live each day in your love and wisdom. I want to follow you. I ask this in the name of Jesus, my savior and Lord. Amen.

 

 

   Becoming God’s child is only the first step. Day by day the Lord will open up the way for us to learn how to walk in His ways. Even though I failed Him and was rebellious for a season, He never stopped loving me. His love never failed me and He drew me to Himself once more. Now my whole family continues together to walk in the ways of the Lord. My daughter is now grown with her own family and she is walking together with her husband and their children following the Lord together with us.

 

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   Terumi survived three attempts to abort her but she survived to experience a life full of unconditional love. She has received this amazing love and acceptance and now lives to give love and acceptance to others. If you or someone you know is considering abortion, please see how precious that life is and don’t allow it to be taken away.

 

   If you or someone you know has felt the sting of rejection, you too can know the incredible love that Terumi’s story tells about. You can be sure of this one thing; God does not love Terumi more than He loves you! No matter who has rejected you, or failed you, or hurt you, or let you down, Jesus will receive you. Just come to Him. The only thing He will ever ask is for us to leave sin behind and walk with Him in newness of life.