Okay, I know what I’m about to write is really silly and pretty obvious, but well, the irony of life is that we often fail to see the things that are right in our faces and most of us are usually very silly about the obviously obvious! Take Hiroshi for example…
Hiroshi used to live in Sendai, on the Japanese island Honshu. On the 11th of March, he was on his way home from an early shift at the restaurant where he worked when the earthquake hit. In those first few moments when it seemed all hell had broken loose, Hiroshi wasn’t worried or even afraid. You see, Hiroshi was a Christian and he loved God very much and he was very confident that God would take care of everything and everyone. In fact, that very morning, before heading off to work, he’d read the 121st Psalm and he knew without a doubt that God would come to his rescue. So while his world went down in rubble around him, Hiroshi was calm and at peace, his trust in God stronger than even the 9.0 earthquake. Before long, Ying, a waitress at the restaurant, came along in her sputtering 10 year old Cherokee jeep.
“Hop on!” She shouted out to him, “Met report says to get off the coast and move inland where it’s safer. I’ll give you a ride!”
“You’re a darling Ying!” Hiroshi exclaimed. “You go on, there are other people who need the ride more than I do.”
“But you’re in danger here! Come on, let’s get going!” Ying urged.
“Not at all! God’s promised to take care of me! I’m waiting for Him!”
A bewildered Ying left Hiroshima standing in the rubble. About an hour later, the tsunami hit and undaunted, Hiroshima clambered onto a tree that was still standing. Along came Kaito, navigating his leaky little boat around the floating debris.
“Oi!” He called out to Hiroshi. “Hop on!”
“T-t-t-thanks-s-s-s m-m-m-mate.” Hiroshi replied, shivering. “G-g-g-god’s on His way t-t-t-to get m-m-m-me. You go on a-a-and help someone else who n-n-needs to get to safety, I‘ll be just f-f-f-fine!”
Kaito’s boat was beginning to fill up with water, so he had no choice but to leave Hiroshi behind. A while later, a rescue worker came whooping along in a helicopter. On seeing Hiroshi hanging onto the tree branch, he threw a rope ladder down.
“Hold onto the ladder, we’ll pull you in!” He called out through his bull horn.
“T-t-thank-k-k-kou!” Hiroshi’s voice was hoarse from the cold. “G-g-god’s g-g-gonto c-c-comans-s-s-savem-m-me in a bit I’m sure!”
Unfortunately, he wasn’t heard above the whooping of the chopper.
“Hold onto the ladder!” The rescue worker urged again.
“G-g-g-g-god’s comtog-g-g-get me!” Was Hiroshi’s reply.
After hovering for a while, the rescue worker spotted someone else in danger and went off to save them. And Hiroshima? He held on to that tree branch, reminding himself, I will lift up my eyes to the hills…all of my help cometh from the Lord…He shall not slumber nor sleep…He shall preserve my soul…and that brave man of great faith, held on tight until he well, got to Heaven’s gates!
“But I waited for You to come and rescue me!” he exclaimed when he saw God. “You said You would!”
“Dear child,” God said to him. “I did come to rescue you, three whole times for that matter!!!”
That left Hiroshi stumped. He sure hadn’t seen God! Not even once!
Silly story. Silly Hiroshima. The koko of the whole story is way too obvious. This story is for toddlers in Sunday School, of course we know these things! Or do we?!
Sometimes, we’re so desperate to hear God or feel Him that we fail to realise that He’s right there in front of us! And even if He were to literarily bite us on the nose, we still wouldn’t see! So, maybe we’re still waiting for a great wind with rumblings from heaven to accompany God’s arrival in our situations (come to think of it, Hiroshi got a big dose of all that and he still didn’t see God!), maybe we’re waiting for some prophet to come with a big revelation, or some might even imagine Him riding in on a big, shiny horse like prince Charming! And maybe, just maybe there are some of us who really, really want to see God that bad and who fancy Him coming right down from heaven Himself to sweep us up from the storms and tsunamis of our lives (believe me, I sooooooooooo want to see Him too, but that’s most likely gotta be on the other side of heaven!). Remember, He could be in the still small voice. Learn to see Him in the little, seemingly insignificant things in life, the tiny details we often take for granted, in a whispered endearment, a fragile flower, a beautiful sunset, a gentle smile, a touch, a word, even a sputtering car or a leaky boat. And if you insist on a windy and noisy entrance, He just might be in a chopper!! J
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