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I made my way through the complex subway system into the man made island of Odaiba. My eyes searched to and fro the land for the one thing my heart had been longing to see since I was a kid. Feeling lost I got off some random station to ask for directions. Instructions were less than clear, for I spoke no Japanese and the station staff spoke Japlish, but I figured what he meant anyway. Trekking back my missteps, I walked towards Diver City. At the corner of my eye, I caught glimpse of her. My heart stopped. And then it started racing. Each subsequent step revealed more and more of the one my heart desired. Before long, she was in full sight. Her curves. Her never ending legs. Her well defined body frame. Eyes that pierce through the soul of any boy. There she was.
There is something majestic about a life-sized Gundam. As a kid I've always imagined what a real life Gundam robot looked like. Now I stood before this 18meter tall bot and I know. It feels nostalgic and fresh all at the same time. Peering up her white shining armor, I had a strange sense of reunion. A union of my childhood. A union of my imaginary brother. Standing before a culmination of 20 years of Gundam-watching, a tear rolled down my cheek.
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I threw my alarm into snooze. I have lost count of how many times I've done that that morning. 30min later I finally dragged myself out of bed. Washed up, put on my Adidas runners and out into the Ebisu neighborhood.
As I did my run I took in the beautiful sights of Japan. Sleek architecture, clean streets, crisp air. And beautiful people. Strange people though, or so I thought. It's 7am and every Japanese have some eye shade on and is looking at the sky. Some exercise this is. Maybe 5 minutes of sun soaking for your eyes will prolong your life? I don't know what was going on, cos the sun looks perfectly normal to me. So I continued to run, past these locals who are indulged in this strange habit.
As my run came to a close, there was a commotion amongst the crowd that has gathered at the square nearby. I looked up. And finally understood why they were all engrossed in this strange ritual. Through my squinted eyelids, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sights in all of creation - a full solar eclipse. The moon moved quickly to cover the sun, leaving a perfect golden circle around its rim. Tokyo momentarily went dark, and the world went silent, just for a second, in awe of a spectacular cosmic event. *goosebumps* I teared.
The locals told me that many people have travelled across the country to Tokyo just to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. Only in Tokyo can the golden rim be perfectly seen. Only on that Monday. Only at the second.
Had I not been sent to Tokyo for work I would have missed it. Had I not snoozed the alarm I would have missed it. Had I snoozed the alarm all the way I would have missed it. Had I not run through the square I would have missed it. Once in 500 years. I could have missed it. But I didn't. A series of serendipitous coincidences brought me to where I need to be, when I need to be. And I can only say, Thank You Jesus, for this pleasant surprise.
"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him." - Colossians 1:16
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My life has been epitomized by series after series of coincidences. Miss one "coincidence" and I won't be where I am today. Success will be far. And prosperity beyond reach. But we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, and who are called according to His purpose. Things work, because we love God. And more importantly, because God loves us. And as you walk with Him, things sometimes just fall into place. Sometimes it doesn't work out as you have desired to. But God is good. And He is in control.
As I recounted my search for the life-sized Gundam, I was reminded how it must have felt for God to search to and fro the land, for a man or a woman whose heart is totally after Him. The excitement that He must have felt when He caught a glimpse of what you were doing with your life. The beauty of creation is found in the very fibre of your being. Conversely, God must be searched out. Fortunately, the beauty of Christian life is that God is not difficult to find. When we meet Him, it's like having found something/someone that you've lost a long time ago, a sense of familiarity, like you've known Him all your life.
Have you found what you were looking for?
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