11. THE GOD OF ALL
COMFORT
“Blessed be God, even the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of
all comfort; Who comforteth us in all
our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which
are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God.” (2nd
Corinthians 1:3~4)
Soon after the U.S. Marine Corps sent me to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, to fly jet warplanes over Southeast Asia for a year, in early spring 1974 I began visiting an orphanage in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. The orphanage belonged to the Salvation Army, was run by a Salvation Army lady captain with a staff of 4 or so women. The orphanage was for girls only. All the staff and the children here are Japanese.
Twice a month or so, I would go there on Saturday afternoon to be
there 3 hours or so, playing with the children, singing songs with them and such, and even helping by cutting firewood for
heating their bath water. On a pleasant Saturday afternoon in late summer, when
I walked thru the gate of the orphanage, a chubby girl between 3 and 4 years
old was standing alone in the very back of the small yard where the
children play. She was sobbing and crying most brokenheartedly.
She was a new arrival.
Most of these girls are not here because both parents died.
Poverty caused some parents to ask the orphanage to take their child or
children. Family trouble was another main cause. I know not what
troubled home situation sent this little newcomer here, but it upset
her greatly. She had been here 2 or 3 days, more or less crying
all her waking hours each day. The teachers fed her, bathed her, put her to bed
and such, and also hugged and comforted her. But they could not sit and hug her
all day. They had other work to do. So they let her “cry it out” the first few
days.
It broke my heart to see her so sad. I started
playing with the 5 or 6 other girls who were in the small dirt yard, as my eyes
stayed on that sad little soul. Twice, an older girl out of pity and compassion walked over to the
crying girl and took her by one hand to try to lead her over to join us in
playing on the slide, swing and such. But the little thing would react to that
in anger, jerking her hand from theirs with a louder sob and
wail. My heart yearned to try helping her myself. But I was
reluctant, seeing her reject the Japanese girls’ kindness. I wasn’t even sure
that she had noticed that I was there. And if this adult Caucasian man came
over to her and got into her face, surely it would be even more traumatic than
the sweet Japanese girls (with whom she can identify).
But her ceaseless sobbing tore me up more and
more. Then a loud howl came forth from her, that seemed to say, “Doesn’t
anybody care for my soul.” That did it! I walked over to
where she stood with her head bowed low, staring straight at her feet. I knelt
down on one knee close in front of her to be in her “low line of sight” and
silently waited (mainly silent because I cannot yet speak much
Japanese).
My one knee that was on the ground was in her line of sight,
letting her know someone was there. Still heaving sobs, she ever so
slowly raised her head till finally she looked me in the eye. When she
made eye contact, I silently held both my arms straight out in front of me,
silently beckoning unto her with open arms. She sniffed and
sobbed for several more seconds, pondering this invitation. On seeing
this foreign face, she might scream to the top of her voice and run
inside the building close by. I waited.
Then she melted into my arms. I wrapped her up in both arms and stood up. Her head fell
onto my shoulder and she fell completely silent, no more
crying and sobbing. I began walking around in the small yard, singing hymns to
her in English. She soon fell into a deep sleep on my shoulder.
(Likely she had not taken a nap today, and it was evident that she had worn
herself out crying). I continued to hold her almost 2 hours, sitting on a bench
when I tired. She was asleep much of that time, and completely silent when
awake. She just simply needed someone to comfort her.
Child, you can be a
comfort to miserable children around you. Ask them to listen to you sing about
Jesus, or any such “comfort” God lays on your heart to offer. Teenager,
you can minister God’s comfort to teens around you whose lives are messed up.
Each time the opportunity arises, ask your Lord to guide you Perfectly
as to exactly what to say or do.
“Abba Father in Heaven, please fill
my heart with compassion for the people around me who are hurting. By
Thy Holy Spirit, please teach me exactly what to do and say to be
a comfort to suffering people around me. Please bless Brother Richard as he
preaches the One True God to the Japanese people, The God of All Comfort.
Amen.”
It was two weeks later the next time I went to the orphanage. When
I walked thru the gate, my heart leaped with joy to see “Chubby”
happily playing in the yard with the other girls. She had “cried it all out”,
possibly 2 weeks ago when I was here. Now, as soon as she sees me, she runs to
me to be held again (for the longest). Seemed like she was
made out of lead, so heavy. Thought my arms would drop off. Joy to the highest
peak!
“For we through the Spirit wait for
the hope of righteousness by faith.”
(Galatians 5:5) “Lord Jesus Christ, I trust in Thee to save me and to impute God’s
Righteousness into me. I hope in Thy Promise to come for us Christian believers
and rapture us out of this corrupt world and take us to Thy Heaven. Please come
for us today, Lord Jesus. Amen.”
Richard Yerby (Matsuida,
Japan) www.Christ-is-all.us