Why does God allow tragedy to strike? Last month missionaries heading to Japan died in a car accident, yet we cannot help but ask, “Why?” We never met the Pals, and due to their proposed location in Japan, we might never have met them. We wanted to know about these fellow missionaries, so we began reading their blog. We were captivated by a section from their Feb 2, 2016 post:
Over the course of what must have been a decade, the brown spot on our slanted concrete slab grew. Not only that, but the occasional dripping of water over many years was sufficient to wear away at the concrete. A small crack grew and began forming into a mini pot-hole. As a teenager, I came home from school on a memorable day and saw the concrete had cracked through. The brown spot was divided in two. Through the crack, I could see dirt. Surprisingly, something green was already sprouting up.
At some point, the final drop fell and split the concrete. More than a decade of dripping–perhaps millions of droplets–prepared the way. As soon as the concrete was thrust aside, life began growing... In places like Japan, it seems that God works like a slow, persistent drip. I believe there will be a day when the final drop lands. Concrete will crack open. Laborers will be surprised to find a soil that yields growth, instead of the persistent hardness that has characterized Japan for decades. God may do a new thing among the Japanese people.
That is my prayer for Japan. Perhaps it’s already begun, and the early signs of life are already sprouting up. Or, maybe we’ll be one of a million drops that must fall, leaving an imperceptible mark while preparing the way for others. Would that be a waste? Would we be better used somewhere else? I don’t think so.
Over the course of what must have been a decade, the brown spot on our slanted concrete slab grew. Not only that, but the occasional dripping of water over many years was sufficient to wear away at the concrete. A small crack grew and began forming into a mini pot-hole. As a teenager, I came home from school on a memorable day and saw the concrete had cracked through. The brown spot was divided in two. Through the crack, I could see dirt. Surprisingly, something green was already sprouting up.
At some point, the final drop fell and split the concrete. More than a decade of dripping–perhaps millions of droplets–prepared the way. As soon as the concrete was thrust aside, life began growing... In places like Japan, it seems that God works like a slow, persistent drip. I believe there will be a day when the final drop lands. Concrete will crack open. Laborers will be surprised to find a soil that yields growth, instead of the persistent hardness that has characterized Japan for decades. God may do a new thing among the Japanese people.
That is my prayer for Japan. Perhaps it’s already begun, and the early signs of life are already sprouting up. Or, maybe we’ll be one of a million drops that must fall, leaving an imperceptible mark while preparing the way for others. Would that be a waste? Would we be better used somewhere else? I don’t think so.
We do not know why God would choose to take the Pals home to be with Him, yet we ask God that the Pals were not simply a drop, but instead the beginning of a torrent ready to break through and reach the Japanese people for the sake of God’s name. Right now, we travel to raise awareness and recruit missionaries, but we yearn to raise our full monthly support so we can move and serve full-time in Japan May the Body of Christ overflow the void left by this family’s death and take up the mantle of prayer, financial giving, and work in Japan. Is God leading you to pray regularly, give monthly, or dedicate your life to go?
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