Today Reia started off to preschool carrying her big, hardcover children’s Bible story book. Hitomi said she couldn’t bring it to preschool. It’s in English, first of all, and besides the school teacher naturally avoids religion and politics. Of course, there are always references to religion that come up because of cultural events (Japanese culture is steeped in religion). The school building itself is rented from a Buddhist temple, and the kids often play around the temple buildings. Nonetheless, the teachers generally keep the school a neutral place.

But in the past few months Reia has become aware that some people don’t know about Jesus, including her classmates and teachers. It’s perplexing for her. The initial realization was a shock for her. We’ve never told her that she should tell people about Jesus. We never suggested she should be burdened or has to share about Jesus with other people. She sees us relating to people and learning to love them. She must know we’re far from perfect, but when we tell her about Jesus and how God loves her, we’re simply talking about the reality of God’s love as we experience it. And she gets it more than we know.

Anyway, this morning she went back to her room. She put the big book of Bible stories away and grabbed a little paperback that tells about God creating the earth — and it’s in Japanese. Hitomi let her take it, but at school she told the teacher, so he could use his best judgment.

Hitomi knows the teacher and trusted he would not “crush a child’s heart.” But she didn’t know what he would do. Bringing the book really was that important to Reia. She wanted the teachers and kids to know about God. It turned out that the teacher read the book to the class, twice, and he and his wife both said, “Oh, we know this story.”

Reia told this to my wife, beaming with happiness, and said in her simple way, “The teachers know about God!”

I know God is real and working. It’s true the teachers already know about God, because they can see the signs of God all around them and in their lives. I think they’ve seen and noticed things. God is loving them in reality, and we get to be part of that somehow. This story will continue, God willing, for years to come as we share our lives with this couple who we’re really coming to treasure. It’s exciting and humbling to love alongside the Father.