This morning I prepared to walk over to Nozomi Project with a grumbling heart. I shared some with my husband, who was gracious and listened. Finished getting ready, make-up, the ever-essential Nozomi jewelry, picking up some clothes around my bed. Headed downstairs to be at work by 9:30, when we start the day with a short prayer time. And then a much-loved verse popped into my head. I tried to shoo-shoo it away, but it got stuck there. So I made myself sit down and look it up on my iPhone: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new EVERY morning; great is your faithfulness O God!” (Lamentations 3:22, 23). Whatever my grumbles are about really were insignificant. God had given me a new day, marked by his faithfulness.
I went next door, and shared this verse (in Japanese), with our staff as we gathered. The language is a lot more difficult to understand in the Japanese bible, but it felt important to share, at least to me.