An Empty Way of Life

   A couple weeks ago, I was able to share my story with the students at Joyful Night. I come from a broken home, two generations of divorce and alcohol abuse. My dad wasn't around and my mom was working overtime to compensate for his absence. I was left alone much of the time and learned early on how to take care of myself. I shared with the Japanese students a verse I would use to describe this part of my life before I knew Jesus:

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

             1 Peter 1:17-19

   I inherited an empty way of life from my forefathers, and I felt the effects of it for years; I was often sad, lonely and empty. But it was at the end of high school that I was introduced to Jesus and understood for the first time that He was offering me a full life. I reached out that summer and took it. 

   I got to explain to the students how God has transformed my life from empty to abundantly full. In our discussions that night, I was able to hear from them what an "empty way of life" means to them and how they have experienced it. They all have. 

   One student described this type of life as, "You are doing everything, but you feel nothing inside." Others shared that they have experienced this through not being loved by someone or the loss of a relationship or the feeling of loneliness.

   As they shared, I felt my heart breaking because I know the solution to this desperate problem they have all experienced. Praise God we get to spend time exploring the Bible with these students every week! Pray that God would reveal Himself to these students. Pray that His word would not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

  A freshman girl in my group that night shared, "Yours was the first Christian story I've ever heard." Wow. I am so humbled by that. Can you imagine that many of these students have never been prayed for before coming to college? That has changed now. Would you join me in prayer for them? Praise God for the work He is doing here in Japan!