OH! That green speckled piece isn't the leaves of the tree, it's a part of the reflection of the pond! Suddenly the piece slips into place with that satisfying cardboard on cardboard thump. I love puzzles. Sometimes at my house we do puzzles at Christmas. This probably started as a holiday tradition in more northern climes where it would be silly to play outside in a blizzard. People sat around and tried to stay warm together doing puzzles. Where I'm from, you're more likely to see a camel giving birth in a sandstorm than see a blizzard. Weather aside, it's a fun way to pass the time and go crosseyed frustrated searching for that ONE piece.
It takes a while to befriend a puzzle. I'm far from the puzzle whisperer, but I have learned some tricks of the trade. At the beginning, the relationship is mostly chaos. You don't understand each other, things are scattered, there are no parameters. Slowly, you start to get to know the color spectrum in the puzzle and the lines the artist used. You figure out what is "tree green" and what is "pond reflection green". Things snap into place as you connect the edges and piece together objects within the picture.
The longer I'm in Australia, the more I discover about God's huge puzzle and the part we are playing in it. What started out as a random suggestion from a campus ministries director turned into a serious consideration, an application, a plane ticket and a visa. My own holes and knobs are fitting into the knobs and holes of this adventure and its people.
Things we didn't know coming into this internship are turning out to be so perfectly ordained. Our great caretakers, the Matthews, are going to be taking some time off because Mr. will be starting radiation therapy in a few weeks. [Something worth spending time on your knees for.] We've had enough time to learn the ropes and take on some of their responsibilities as they step back. The friends we've made are an adventurous lot, much to my delight [cliffjumping, anyone?] and also passionate about Jesus-centered priorities, which is both convicting and encouraging.
Small things like loving Mexican food, being in good enough health to walk everywhere, and not being a picky eater are fitting right into the situation. Experiences like helping with kids summer programs at church and staffing at Summit and Compass have given me experience with successful programs that put Christ first. Even things like lesson planning as an education student and being culturally sensitive in North Africa this summer as we're planning activities in a nation that is not our own.
It's like Dad's dinner prayer - Thank You for providing all of our needs and many of our wants.
Thankful for her Jehovah Jireh Provider,
Little Miss Sunshine
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