Since our Japanese is not quite up to par, we knew we wanted a bilingual international church. I had found a few online, but then I talked to a friend whose friend's sister (ha!) recommended Mustard Seed Osaka, which is part of the larger Mustard Seed Network, which has been planting churches in the largest 12 cities of Japan.
As I've perused their website, it seems like a solid church for us to link arms with. Lucas e-mailed the pastor back in the spring to introduce ourselves. And then this summer, I got to meet the man who pastors the Mustard Seed Hiroshima church. I asked him how we can come alongside and help without being a burden to the staff (because sometimes it's overwhelming to facilitate a mission trip for a team). He encouraged us to just show up and be part of whatever is going on. So that's our plan! We're willing to help with the children's ministry or set up or tear down or do the "grunt work" (that doesn't require Japanese fluency!).
I think there are two main references to mustard seeds in the Bible. The more common, perhaps, is having faith like a mustard seed. But there's another mustard seed verse that God used in the middle of a difficult season 10 years ago (and I can't believe I didn't make the mustard seed connection until recently).
Ten years ago, I was on a solitude retreat, and, as He often does, God spoke to me through nature. On a hike, I sat down in the middle of a trail and saw this gigantic tree up ahead. I had to crane my neck to take in the whole view of the tops of its branches. And my thought was "So this is what it means to be rooted and established!" (Col 2:7, Eph 3:17). I sensed that God had plans for my branches. In other words, it mattered that I be rooted and established in His love, not just for my own sake but for the sake of others.
"He put another parable before them saying, 'The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." (Matthew 13:31-32)
Soon after that spring solitude retreat, I found out I was pregnant. As we did with our other two boys, we came up with a "code name" for the baby while in utero (Carter had been Lamby since "Mary had a little lamb"). When I found out I was pregnant, the baby was the size of a poppy seed, so we called the baby Poppy.
At 13 weeks, when things in a pregnancy feel more secure and safe at the beginning of the second trimester, I went for a routine check-up and found out the baby had no heartbeat. A loss. I had a D&C the next day, and I requested the baby's remains so that we could have a burial. On the gravestone, there was a spot to include a verse (which many of those in the miscarriage section of Calvary Cemetery did). So we included Matthew 13:32 as well as Isaiah 61:3--
"To all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory."
The "You have plans for my branches" took on new meaning. I could choose to wallow in despair. Or I could choose to cultivate seeds, knowing that my branches would be robust enough to support others later on.
Grateful 10 years later for growth and redemption and transformation and unwasted grief. Looking forward to planting more mustard seeds in Osaka!
(here's Poppy's song that I wrote to help memorize those verses)
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