All the Moving Parts of All the Things

 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him."
Romans 8:28

A cooler, clouded sky hangs over the morning, and it seems fitting somehow. We are welcoming this day with faith for God's leading in all that is presenting itself to us.

For one thing, it's a day of comings and goings. I've mentioned this before, I think, that a unique feature of our time together as a Team is that we haven't really spent the whole time together as a Team. Roger and Karen will return from Phuket this afternoon. Norma and Angela will return to Canada later this evening. Flight times and vehicle capacities make two trips necessary. There's a fair bit of packing, texting, and synchronizing of watches going on.

Of course, this means a time of goodbyes this evening. Bitter sweet in that we come here willing to give our hearts away, and end up leaving pieces of it behind. Every. Time. Angela and Norma are already expressing their feelings about it all. And truth be told, as we've said around the table, if something doesn't hurt about leaving maybe one shouldn't have come in the first place.

A harder thing. Yesterday we had the sad and difficult task of informing one of our girls that her father had passed away. She had already lost her mother three years ago, and had found the grieving difficult. This has hit her hard. We're only into day one of the mourning process, and she has stayed home from school today to regain her composure a bit, and just shadow Dtu in some every day chores, slowly, as she's able. The circumstances of the death were difficult enough that I will respect the privacy and not include the details here. But it is just an added layer to the weight of it all.

Travel stress, grieving, health concerns. All coming together on this day. I have in mind a scene from a movie, I think it's from one of the Dr. Strange episodes, where all the buildings, the streets, everything is heaving and moving at odd and impossible angles, while the characters battle for their lives. At any moment the ground gives way and a new stance is needed to keep your balance and keep the danger at bay.

And while I don't want to portray any sense of real danger or inflate anyone's experience of disorientation - mostly we are staying calm and going with the flow as best we can - there's a certain theological picture in the movie reference that reminds me of something essential.

When so many moving parts are in play, and it seems rather confusing and disrupting to me, there's a God at the helm, controlling the levers, orchestrating everything according to His plans and purposes. And even as we face what we cannot control, we trust in the One who's in charge.

"All things" include, well all the things. And while Romans 8:28 has sometimes been given a bad rap for its glib recitation to people in pain, it's still true. Either I believe it or not. And I do believe it. With my whole being.

So, if you are so inclined, prayers are welcome.
For comfort for one young girl.
For travel safety for four Team members.
For wisdom in caring for and leading our family here through a time of support in mourning.
For all the comings and goings and moving parts of a day that hold so much potential to see what God will do.

Amen and amen.