BROKEN FRIEND

Today is 2 months since my 5:30 a.m. mishap. Can I post about another "broken" friend I saw on one of my walks down the creek?

I quickly snapped a picture of a little brown butterfly with white markings...but noticed it had met with mischief on its right wing.

When I zoomed in on it, I realized they were  bright blue-white spots (you can see it's been attacked on the tail end). Be patient, the butterfly seemed to say; even if you are a little out of order temporarily; just keep brightening the corner where you are with whatever hue the Creator endowed you as best you can...even if it takes over 2 months to recover!

People may think I am making a big jump, but it's not unrelated. I remember when Daddy was broken. We were in the middle of our Okinawa work, and God used my parents to plant 4 churches: Uken, Shuri, Ishikawa, Ishigaki. Daddy was running around as the go-between for missionaries and native people, believers and unbelieving family, U.S. military and Okinawan civilians.

But he got close to a health breakdown necessitating an emergency furlough. I was actually too little to remember this; have only a foggy memory of it. God brought us back to Okinawa to finish the work He began. Here's a picture of our family years later (Joyce is already in college), when starting another work anew and canvassing the neighborhood with self-introductory brochures.

Some people think God can't use dirty vessels. God can use dirty vessels, broken vessels, anything that has repented, offered itself up to fully to Him. The cleaning and mending is for God, not man, to do.

I've probably told you a million times about one of our ladies (front right) whose son (white T-shirt, under cross) is the present pastor of the church. Daddy (did you find him? He's in front in traditional kimono garb, like the other elderly folk on that day!) prayed so hard for a man to step in the pulpit!

I get sidetracked so easily. I need to wrap this up, or it'll never get posted.