Perspective Shifts While Brushing Teeth

Brushing my teeth at night has taken on a different meaning since moving to Japan.

I tend to pace a little bit when I brush my teeth. It breaks up an otherwise monotonous task. When I step into the next room and gaze out the window, I can see the faint lights of high-rise apartments. Fifteen or more towering apartment buildings make up the Wakabadai community, along with nearby parks, stores and schools.

As I look out at the apartment windows, I am sometimes tempted to despair. How could one couple reach even that small community, much less the entire country of Japan? How many Christians are in each building? Is there even one? Who knows? I don’t.

If we are honest, the task we are setting out to do is impossible. Absolutely impossible. I can hardly talk about the weather — much less about the gospel in a culturally sensitive way — when I don’t yet understand the culture. Reaching this country is impossible from a human perspective.

But, we serve a God who regularly accomplishes the humanly impossible. He created the world. He caused the Red Sea to part and caused axe heads to float. He saved Peter from prison and transformed Saul into Paul. And most importantly, Jesus came to this earth to show us the love of the Father and die for our sins.
An impossible task? Absolutely. But with our God? Nothing is impossible. Even this country can be reached for Him.

And so, when I brush my teeth and see the lights of Wakabadai, instead of feeling despair, I pray that God will reach that community — and this country — for Him.

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” — John 12:32 (NKJV).