…Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
—Matthew 22:37
This final week in Japan has introduced L. and me to many fun and beautiful experiences.
And, immediately, four come to mind.
The first three happened at Asan Kotonami, the mountain retreat in Northern Shikoku where every staff member worked 24/7 to provide us with the very best service.
So, I remember:
1. Meals that look like kaleidoscopes of flavor, and best of all, taste that way:
2. Enjoying hot soaks in deep tubs and views that remind me of how much I love living in and around the mountains:
3. Witnessing my husband—yes, my husband—the same man who had routinely eyed my raw fish-topped sushi with suspicion whenever I ordered it and refused to try it, chowing down on sashimi—raw fish—willingly and saying, “I liked it.” 😮
Ours is truly a miracle-working God.🙌🏼
Seeing Vincent van Gogh and his art in a new way…
4. Or the fourth experience—happened in Tokyo.
Do you remember my recommending the virtual tour of Japan’s National Museum of Western Art?
Well, that’s where I was Tuesday afternoon enjoying an in-person visit.
It’s also where we, as guests, have a rare chance to get very close to the uncovered canvases.
So standing in front of Van Gogh’s Roses, I did just that, getting as close as I could to the canvas without touching it.
Seeing how generously he had applied paint to the canvas felt like a revelation.
Every petal, every bud, and every leaf in the surrounding foliage seemed ready to bloom beyond the frame and into the room.
This seemed marvelous to me, especially since Van Gogh had struggled financially and couldn’t easily afford a lavish supply of paints.
Still, what he had—energy, skill, paint—he laid it all on the canvas, holding back nothing.
However high, wide, or deep the obstacle, we’ll keep going after what God has called us to with everything we’ve got.
Although we—like Van Gogh—may never see the end results, we know that they will be pretty darn fabulous. (Romans 8:28)
ART HISTORY HOP
Today’s hop comes ahead of the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, next Saturday, June 6th.
That momentous and horrific landing of Allied forces in Normandy, France, is an event that has inspired oodles of good cinematic art.
As a result, you can find beaucoup lists of movies about the men who stormed the beaches that day, knowing it might be their last.
So, I’ll suggest just these two: Saving Private Ryan and The Longest Day (which I once jokingly nicknamed “The Longest Movie,” but is so worth watching).
WORDS WORTH REMEMBERING
“I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.”
—Vincent van Gogh
MAY I RECOMMEND…
… reading Learning from Henri Nouwen & Vincent van Gogh: A Portrait of the Compassionate Life, by Carol A. Berry?
If you’re curious about what went on in Van Gogh’s heart and mind as he developed his calling, and don’t have time right now to read his many letters to his beloved brother, Theo, you may find this book the next best thing.
By the way, I “read” the audio version of this book.
TO REFLECT UPON (AND JOURNAL)
As you survey your life and the projects and activities in which you’re involved, are you giving them your best effort and attention?
If not, why not?
