Not Being Huge
Some of you may have noticed that it has been a few weeks since our last post. Two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to fly to the US for a week-long conference for young, up and coming cross-cultural workers. One of the contrasts that caught my attention was how imposing some things in America are.
As soon as we landed at the airport, we rented a car to head off to our destination. Because I’m not so good with a map, I ended up doing the driving. I was a bit nervous about driving on the other side of the road after a year and a half away, but what I came to find more nerve-racking was how fast cars go in America! Because the roads in Japan are narrow, the speed limit is much lower, even on highways. Around town, the speed is usually 30 or 40 kph (that’s around 20 mph); while on the expressways anything over 90 kph (55 mph) can be considered speeding. I know, it’s slow, but you get used to it.
The second marvel was the huge trees in America. Of course not all trees in America are huge, but the ones that are huge are HUGE! Many of the trees in built-up areas in Japan are trimmed to be no taller than a two story building, but even the ones in the forest of species that don’t get nearly as tall or thick as the big deciduous these in the US. Unfortunately, the same conditions that make these Japanese species of trees thrive also prevent a real significant change of colors in the fall and winter.
A garden with some typical Japanese trees.
As I ponder this, I am again reminded how small and finite I am as a human being. As I craned my neck to look at the tops of the trees towering over me, it was a great reminder of how God’s presence overshadows me. And now, though we are back in Japan where the trees are shorter, it is good to know that God is still infinite and present everywhere. Although we don’t necessarily need trees to tell us that, they are good reminders.
We are grateful for a safe, good trip. Please pray for us that we would continue to seek and experience God’s presence over us each day.