“The poor is hated
even of his own neighbor: but the rich hath many friends. He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth:
but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.” (Proverbs 14:20~21)
“Nevertheless God, that comforteth
those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” (2nd Corinthians 7:6)
Upon renting a small house in Matsuida Town on August 1st,
1978, I immediately moved into it. At that time, I had no motor vehicle, not
even a bicycle. When I traveled any distance, I rode the trains. For local
errands in town, I walked. Thus wise, I regularly met many town folks walking
or pedaling bicycles on the narrow streets or sidewalks. One lady in particular
stood out to me. She was about 70 years old or older, and had a severe harelip
that extended up into her nose dividing each nostril. Born soon after 1900,
likely her parents had no money to have surgery and such done to improve that
condition. To say the least (honestly), the precious woman’s face was most
unsightly.
As I daily walked in town, it was common for me to meet up with
her (say, 1 to 4 times or so a week) on the sidewalk or in the grocery store. I
never caught sight of her when she was at home, so I never “discovered” which
house she lived in. But I perceived that likely she lived alone, had
never been married, and that likely no one in town even pretended to be her
friend. No doubt she had no drivers’ license or a car. I never even saw her
riding a bicycle. She was somewhat plump, and customarily trudged along
walking (in her solitude and loneliness).
I observed that in general, the town folks avoided her, giving her
a wide berth if they met her walking. Teenagers and children in particular
did so. And a small group of (say) 3 or so children, sometimes upon seeing her
would even exclaimed aloud in disdain, “Iya da!” (“Yuk”!).
Teens together would whisper to each other, and children would talk aloud in
close vicinity to her, about how horrible she looked. She was a most
lonely and shunned soul, but a most precious soul in the sight of her
Creator God (just as much so as the person with the most lovely face).
Seeing her pitiful condition and how most of the people around her
treated her, God filled my soul with compassion for her. Soon, I gave her a kind
verbal greeting when meeting her on the sidewalk. My Reader Friend, her
reaction was amazing to behold. Her countenance turned to shock and she
immediately turned around to look directly behind her on the sidewalk, thinking
that I could not possibly be greeting her so kindly,
but that I must be greeting someone else walking close
behind her. She saw that no one was behind her and looked back toward me. I
smiled brightly at her and went on my way.
The next time I soon ran into her, I gave her the brightest smile
possible and the kindest spoken greeting. This time, she knew it was for her
(and not for the phantom behind her). Her forlorn sad disfigured face
broke into the brightest sunshine you can imagine. From then on, that is
what I did each time I met up with her, sometimes asking her how she was doing,
and wishing her a good day, as I went on my way.
With my pilot’s eagle eye eyesight much better than hers, I
usually recognized her coming from a distance before she caught sight of me and
recognized me. Not yet looking directly at her face, I would keep her face in
my peripheral vision to observe her reaction when she caught sight of me.
Friend, her face immediately turned bright and happy looking, knowing
that a cheerful, kind greeting was about to come her way, something
that ever so rarely happened to her.
Boys and girls, think seriously on this important
question of mine, and give me the easy answer to it. ‘How much did it cost
me to extend that kindness to that lonely, shunned soul?’
“Precious Lord Jesus, of course it costs nothing to be
kind and friendly to a lonely, shunned person. Tho I am a child with very
little money to give to any soul in need, it is ever so easy for me to
be friendly to any friendless person. And it is most easy for me to believe
that You will richly bless me and make me much happier for being as kind as
possible to such a person. Help me to consider that it was not her fault that
she was born with a deformed face. And that You could have ordained that I be
born with such a disfigured face. But you did not. Thank You, Lord, for giving
me a nice looking face. Please help me to be ever so vigilant, always
watching for a chance to lift up the downfallen person with my wide,
cheerful smile, and friendly and encouraging words. Help all other
people on earth to also do such good deeds unto others. Amen!”
Parents, if your children are around people with a disfigured face
(or a terrible deformity anywhere in their body), you know it is natural
for anyone’s carnal nature to talk of such matters in a derogatory or
repulsive way. Children are especially prone to do so. “For childhood and youth are vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 11:10)
Your Creator God and Soon-Coming Judge holds you accountable as
the parent (who brought that child into this world), to teach your
child to love those dear souls who are not so lovely or loveable
(for any reason). As God leads you, teach your children to be ever so
thankful for the good, healthy body and mind that God gave them (reminding
them that when we have a lot of good things “going for us”, it tends to
make our carnal nature proud). So, admonish them that if
we scorn the person with physical handicaps and deformities, God could easily
cause an injury or fire to deform and disfigure us even more badly.
Ask your children if any child at their school is made fun of
because they are fat, or skinny, or wear glasses, or are poor at sports, or
poor at studying, and such. Teach them to befriend such children, to be a
friend to the friendless. Heaven bestows unspeakable riches
of joy, blessings and such on us for doing so.
God forbid that our sinful carnal selfish pride
causes us to despise such people for what they naturally are, thus
making their heavy load, even heavier.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
“Abba Father in Heaven, please clearly show me each time it is displeasing
in Thy Sight, the way I pick and choose those souls to whom I choose to be
kind. Cause me to think on the great joy that I can bring to unlovely and
unlovable downtrodden souls by extending Thy Tender, Loving Kindness to
them, without it costing me anything to do so. I pray that all other
souls on earth will also do right in this matter. God forbid that we
make their heavy load even heavier by being unkind unto them. Amen.”
Richard Yerby (Matsuida, Japan) www.Christ-is-all.us