“Jennifer is taking a shower. Please knock the door 😊” the note said.

I first spied the note, handwritten on a faded, yellow Post-it, as we moved into the missionary housing provided for us at the Tokuyama church.

A couple of things in the note stood out to me. First, the note was posted at about eye-level on the door to our kitchen, not the shower. Second, no Jennifers were living here. In fact, it had been about 10 years since the last missionaries had done so.

I thought about moving the note, or perhaps even throwing it away. Clearly, it was not needed anymore. But I hesitated. This place had been recently renovated in preparation for our arrival, yet despite all the cleaning, repairs and remodeling, the note had been left in place. It made me wonder. Just who was this Jennifer? And how long had this note been left exactly where it was?

Several days later, I discovered part of the answer. Just outside the church fellowship room is a wall dedicated to honoring the missionaries who lived and taught English classes in the Tokuyama church over the years. Of all the people on the wall, there is just one Jennifer, who apparently served at the church from 2000 to 2001.
This would mean the note has been left on the door for about 25 years, through multiple sets of missionaries and at least one renovation. Given that it appears to be affixed to the door with nothing more than the original note’s stick-strip, it does not appear to have been moved in all that time, despite being in a rather prominent position on a frequently used door.

It does not seem possible that this could be accidental.

At first glance, this may seem rather silly. It is not like the note contains an encouraging message, a Bible verse or anything that might seem important enough to memorialize for over 25 years. And yet, have you ever looked back on a place where you used to spend time and wondered what legacy you left behind?

Because, in all likelihood, it is not about what was written, but who wrote it that is the key here. Clearly, the memories of Jennifer invoked by the simple note were important enough to the church members that they kept it on the door year after year during preparations for future missionaries.

To me, it is a constant reminder of the importance of the little, everyday legacies we leave behind. As Christians, we are used to hearing the big stories: churches planted, Bibles translated, lives changed numbering in the thousands. And yet, just as impactful are the simple stories of ordinary people living their lives in ways that point people to Jesus.

Someday there may be a story about a church we have helped to plant here in Japan; I certainly hope so. But if the Lord can use me to impact even one life for His glory, it is enough for me—even if only a good memory written on a Post-it note.

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