Carson and Laura Foushee
CBF Field Personnel, Kanazawa, Japan
Nestled between the Japan Alps and the Sea of Japan in Central Japan lies the city of Kanazawa. Though traditional sites and cultural activities as well as delicious seafood are a few of the reasons I love my city, what saves my life is time spent along the Saigawa (Sai River).
Snowmelt from the mountains runs down into the Sai River and is carried out to sea. Flowing through the middle of the city and located just under half a mile from our family’s home, the river features greenways on either side that go for miles. These provide space for exercise, communal gatherings and appreciation of the beauty of nature that surrounds us.
Podcasts escort me on runs as I look up at the snowy peaks, take in the clear water and search for herons, whom I affectionally call my “bird friends,” hunting for supper. I pass youth heading home from school on bicycles, couples chatting on steps leading to the water and groups of seniors playing ground golf on the floodplains.
Public parks dot the greenways and offer places for families and friends to gather. My family and I often spend weekends, our children climbing on playground equipment, pretending to fish with sticks in a tadpole pond and playing tag with school friends and their families.
Each season brings new beauty and opportunities for adventure along the Sai River. Picnics under puffy white blossoms on cherry trees in spring offer chances to deepen relationships with old friends and to make new ones. Unobstructed views of firework shows in the city and in towns in the distance light up summer evenings. Bright yellow, orange and red leaves burst forth in the trees along the banks to announce the arrival of fall. In winter, small hills and open spaces create pleasant sledding spots for all ages.
While all of this leads me to join the earth in shouts of joy to the Lord, it is the unpredictable nature of these trips that make me appreciate life along the Sai River even more. Due to its location on the west side of the mountains, coupled with unique weather patterns that come across the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa is one of the rainiest extratropical cities in the world. Wet and heavy snowfalls are also a winter reality and often force me to stay indoors. Weeks sometimes go by before I find myself on the river once again.
But I know that when I return, the river, in all its beauty and opportunity, will be waiting. And this continues to give me life.
Pray, Practice, Ponder
Take a walk in a natural space today. Observe the life and beauty that abounds. Join the earth in praising our Creator God who has and continues to make all things new.
Pray. . .Give. . .Go.