Let Your Lights Shine

By Janyssa Schmidt

My siblings and I stared out the window at a woman who appeared to be taking pictures of our church building. What is that woman doing? we wondered. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, and we had seen many people out for a walk. This woman seemed very interested in the church, though. 

My mom and several other members were preparing for the monthly health outreach meal that would take place in about an hour. My siblings and I were just hanging out in the mothers’ room until it was time to eat. 

I raced through the halls toward the kitchen. There I found my mom and told her about the woman. A deacon and his wife offered to go out and meet her. Several minutes later they brought her in to meet us. She told us that her name was Misaki. 

She was in the United States for 10 days as part of a teacher exchange program. Deciding to go on a walk, this sweet Japanese woman had come across our church and was wondering if it was Protestant. We quickly brought over Naomi, an elder’s wife, who is also Japanese. When Naomi started talking in Japanese, Misaki was shocked! 

Naomi talked to her and showed her the church. After being invited back for the meal that evening, Misaki agreed to attend. True to her word, she returned that evening for dinner. Although she could not stay the whole time, we were able to give her several sharing books and direct her to the church website. 

Who knows whether Misaki will read the books; we can pray only that she will. But I do know that being invited in and greeted warmly will give her a different picture of Seventh-day Adventists than a photograph of the sign. 

What would have happened to Misaki if we had just ignored her? What if we hadn’t gone out to meet her? What if Naomi hadn’t been there to talk to her in Japanese? The only thing I can say is truly “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). You may be only a child, but God has called you to be a light. Everything that happens in your life happens for a reason. You have an influence on everyone you meet, and we will not fully know until heaven just how many people you have influenced. So let your light shine!

—Janyssa Schmidt, 14, writes from Indiana.