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Two little girls, visiting the city on a family vacation, we accompanied our grandmother out shopping. Always open to Divine appointments, Grandma often instructed us to sing for someone. She had a missionary heart, but no voice for singing. And, singing is what her father said touched his heart.
So, among my early memories, I see the shopkeeper, a tape measure hanging around his neck, bending down to our level, close to the worn gray floor boards. Grandma told us to sing "Jesus Loves Me" for him. Rachel and I, who were well used to singing for others, did. The Jewish man thanked us, "That was very nice," and escaped to attend to other customers.
One day, in a similar setting, Rachel and I stood waiting, looking at a counter display, even though Rachel was barely big enough to see over the top. I heard a voice and looked up to see a tall, raw-boned man standing beside Rachel. He resembled my Uncle Reuben, so I took a second look, knowing that we weren't supposed to talk to strangers. And, this was definitely a stranger.
He seemed to be in distress, needing to talk to someone. As he stood there, anguished words tumbled out. The only ones I recall were "my people." Whether an employee or customer, I don't know. But he abruptly left as Grandma approached.
The unusual encounter became a memory I pondered, like Mary, in my heart. Only years later as a teenager did I discover "The Diary of Ann Frank," and learn the horror of events during World War II. I knew about the war from family devotions, praying for family members in the service, and from Lutheran World Action films my dad showed for Sunday evening church services. But, I was too young, at the time, to grasp what was happening (except that my heart went out to the children I saw in the black and white movies).
Although my dad often expressed his love for the Jewish people, and regularly listened to Dr. A. U. Michaelson's Hebrew-Christian Hour on the radio, I had no idea what the Jewish people, especially, had endured during those war years.
My pondered childhood memory finally connected. The man must have been talking about "my people," the Jews.
How remarkable that impressions from early childhood prepare us for our future! The plight of orphaned children gripped my young heart, and I decided then that was where I wanted to be, to make a difference. And, remembering my dad's heart, plus discovering the Holocaust, drove me to read everything I could find on 20th century Jewish history.
When I crossed paths with a military officer in Vietnam, who was Jewish, another door opened. He invited me to join him for Rosh Hashanah services, a very moving experience as I stepped into the roots of our faith. I accompanied him to a Shabbat gathering where a speaker told about working with refugees at the end of the war. This speaker had met a Catholic priest who had converted from Judaism, and asked him why. The priest explained that he had become convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Marveling at the wonderful adventure of life, I simply watched as the Lord unfolded the desires of my heart. Later, I would return to Vietnam as a civilian, working with orphans from that conflict.
April 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon to the communist North Vietnamese Army. I have been blessed to cross paths with more special people, veterans, refugees, the Boat People, former South Vietnam military and civilians, and taken part in earlier commemorations of this tragic time in their history. The Divine appointments of life move me to tears. From the famous, Corrie ten Boom and Johnny Cash, to the obscure little neighborhood missionary, Polly Griffiths, I treasure every soul whose path has crossed mine. In spite of my failures and shortcomings, I pray that in all these "crossings," I have been a useful ambassador for the Lord, since the cross of Calvary provides the Door to new Life for this suffering world.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. –Psalm 37:4-5
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. –Ephesians 2:10
Copyright 2015 by---Edy T Johnson---
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