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'GOD'S CHESSBOARD' 

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I was born in the town of Kobe.

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I also grew up there.

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When I got a bit older,

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I didn't know what religion was.

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There was a person who was very religious.

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The person tended to bother their neighbors, and they seemed a bit crazy.

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That made me hate anything related to religion.

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I thought all religious people must be those kind of people.

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While living in Kobe, when I was in the third grade of junior high school, 

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my dad made some mistakes and we ran out of money 

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then we moved to Osaka. 

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My school had changed, and I had lost some friends.

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I felt a little lonely.

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When I was in high school,  I didn't have enough money,

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so I would work in daytime and then go to school at night. 

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It became a very difficult time for me.

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While I was going to school and working at the same time,

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gradually, my body started getting weaker and I got an exam

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and I was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, and I was hospitalized.

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There was a man in the hospital who was a very good Shogi chess player, 

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and he invited me to play Shogi chess with him.

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He taught me how to play Shogi one step at a time.

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But I knew that against a person with a high level of skill, I could never win. 

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No matter how hard I tried, I would always lose. 

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Eventually, I got pretty angry, and I quit due to my selfishness.

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I was such a competitive, sore loser.

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I had  to be the best, even in social interactions.

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Eventually my friends were leaving me, and I felt even more lonely.

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I know I am selfish 

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but I couldn't change myself

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During that time, my room was changed by chance,

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and my bed was placed next to a junior high school teacher.

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That person would leave the room with a thick black book almost every day.

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I asked him "where are you going?"

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The man said "a Christian gathering".

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at that time, I had the idea that "all people who believe in religion are crazy"

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but this junior high school teacher was completely different.

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He was quiet, smart and loved by people.

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He always left the room while holding his bible.

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One day when I asked him, "Where are you going?"

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He replied, "Would you like to come with me?" So I went with him.

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At the end, he did a picture-story show about Jesus' whole life story...

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from birth, through the crucifixion, to the resurrection,

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even up to the Second Coming.

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It was long picture-story show. For the first time,

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I was able to see that regarding B.C. and A.C.,
Jesus was a central figure in history since his birth.

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When I got home, I was told "if you read the bible, I will give one to you."

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But I wasn't willing to read it.

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After a while, there was a very sick person in the hospital.

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I was told "would you mind reading the Bible to them?"

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I went to read for them after dinner every night.

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They were lying on the bed the whole time and listening while I was reading the Bible

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the man was saved right in front of me.

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For this person, since I needed to read the Bible thoroughly and think carefully for myself

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this also made me gradually believe in Jesus.

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God put me into fellowship with so many people.

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In Shogi chess, it's sort of like a "Fuu" (sealed move)

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advancing with even the smallest moves, one by one,

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The King catches me, and made me his own, just as God has caught me.

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I was changed by God, and invited to a position where I could be used by Him.

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I can play my part as a small piece of God's greater, amazing plan.

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There have been many things in life

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and many ways that God has used the Good News

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to really bless me.

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I am so thankful for that, and praise God.