I am traveling, not overseas but in the Western
US today, so I thought I would blog about a couple of significant blessings I
have received today.
First, I got a letter from the leader of the
Lahu church that they had conducted a training in a local church in Chiang
Mai, a first for the area. He sent me some photos and in them I saw
that a significant professor at the school who has not previously been involved
attended the workshop. It is a real breakthrough since he has been the
preaching prof at the school for some time and is well respected. The
impact of this could be significant for the Lahu church.
Secondly, I had the sad news this week that a dear
friend, pastor Jeff Taguchi, had died suddenly. He was a man I discipled
and mentored beginning in Las Vegas 25 years ago. We continued to talk
occasionally over the years, and he had called me on Tuesday night to ask
some questions about the ministry he was a part of in California. He was
an associate pastor in a Chinese church, although he was Japanese. A few
hours after our conversation, he had a stroke and died. He was only 52 and
it was a shock. I was traveling to Spokane for meetings and decided to
swing down for his funeral, which was tonight.
Jeff always affectionately called me “Boss”,
stemming from the time he first started ministry with us in Las Vegas as a
volunteer with the youth. I rarely talked to him when he did not remind
me that “all I am today is because of you”. I was always a bit
embarrassed by that feeling that really I had done little in his life other
than give him some time, listen, and offer words of advice when I could,
pointing him to the Word and to Jesus. I really did not know what he
actually did in ministry, though I knew he was a pastor, and we had even visited
him once in Taiwan when he was pastoring there. But I had never really
seen him in action.
The funeral tonight was like nothing I have ever
seen before. Hundreds of people came, Chinese, Anglos and some Japanese.
They had to set up chairs in the aisles. It really was a massive
celebration of this amazing man’s life and ministry. The impact of this
man’s life was far greater than I had ever imagined. Testimony after
testimony was given of how Jeff impacted people by believing in what God could
do in them, usually before they believed it themselves. He lived a
joyful, smiling, enthusiastic and positive life that captured so many and led them
to be his disciples. Dozens stood up when it was asked who he had
discipled. It was obvious that this whole church had been profoundly
influenced by his life. It was said that Jeff said he only did what was
fun, and living for Jesus was always fun. When asked why he was always
smiling, he said he had the best job in the world, he got to tell
people about Jesus all day.
Again on Tuesday night, when I spoke with Jeff, he had said that all he
was, was because of me. It struck me deeply to realize how little
investment in him I had really made, and how great the impact was, really how
greatly God had used that in his life. I know of course that there were
many other influences and people who impacted him. But he, in his last
hours had pointed to me. As the night went on, for nearly 3 hours of
celebration, it became more and more apparent to me that this man was greater
than I in so many ways. I was actually inspired to be more than I am, to
be more like him. I asked God to make me more like “my disciple”. It
is a wonderment and a testimony of God’s grace when those you disciple become
greater than you, more like Christ, more effective in many ways. My
disciple has in some ways become my model. I pray that is the case for
all of Jeff’s disciples.
I am not sure I will ever be the same after
tonight. Jeff did not remember me because I was a great pastor or
preacher. He remembered me because I gave him time, an listening ear and a few
words of wisdom and encouragement. God used that to help him start on his
way to becoming great; not perfect, but godly. One person testified that
Jeff said, ”the greatest gift you can give someone is time, for you cannot love
them unless you give them time”. I am inspired to give myself more fully,
with more time to more people. Who knows what great things God might do
as a result. Perhaps a few more Jeff Taguchi’s might result to the praise
of His glorious grace.
Al
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