The moment I met her, I felt a connection.
Her beautiful face was wreathed with a smile, laugh lines bracketed her eyes, and her whole countenance seemed to sparkle with a barely contained, childlike joy.
“Ohayo gozaimasu!” she proclaimed as she clutched my hand. She let loose with a stream of rapid Japanese, then threw her head back in laughter.
I loved her immediately.
There are people who are so full of the Holy Spirit, who walk so closely with Jesus on an hourly basis that they cannot contain the overflow of joy that surrounds them. My new friend is one such woman. I met her my first Sunday in Japan, at the church I worked with for the month. And the first thing I wanted to do was wrap her in a hug. Unfortunately, Japanese culture does not embrace hugging (pun intended!).
As the month went on, I had the opportunity to talk with her more and learn of her life. She and her husband are both Christians, although he finished his personal race and now lives with Jesus, while she is still bound to earth. She loves her children with a fierce pride, and at least one of her daughters is a Christian. Her granddaughter has Down syndrome, and to hear her grandmother speak of her, is an extremely special girl. (And in fact, she is! Read my squadmate’s blog to hear about this precious girl: Nana’s Hands)
Some may look at my new friend’s life and think it’s a life with hardships. A widow, a Christian in Japan where there is not yet a thriving Body, a woman who has come face-to-face with a family member who others may consider “inferior” or “disabled.” But through it all, this attitude of joy and thankfulness permeates her life. And it’s so, so evident where it comes from. She walks with Jesus. He buoys her up and fills her with so much joy, love, and grace that she can barely contain it.
When she shared with me her English nickname, I smiled. Her name, given to her so long ago, is Grace. I put my hand on her arm, looked into her eyes, and declared, “This is not your name! Your name is JOY!” Of course, she laughed at that. People who are so full of Jesus often don’t realize how much light they exude.
I could not help but recall the words of Brian Frost, one of the pastors of my church, and an amazing man of God. One time he gave an analogy of the Christian life being like wearing a glove. When we start, we are wearing a ski glove. We have the Holy Spirit over our lives, but it’s an odd fit at first. As we grow in our faith, our goal should be to grow so close to Jesus that He is like a latex glove clinging to our hand; a glove so tight it’s hard to tell where skin leaves off and glove begins. I believe Grace/Joy is an example of this. She has lived her life in such a way that now all anyone sees upon meeting her is Jesus. She is truly a light for Him, a candle in the darkness of Japan.
God’s grace births joy. His sacrifice on the Cross, His presence in our lives, brings immeasurable joy and hope to the darkness. And now there is one woman in Japan, who I will forever think of as a spiritual grandmother, who’s Grace turned into Joy. Such exhilirating, amazing joy.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~Romans 15:13
