The Puzzle of Life

I am a person who believes we will never know the full impact of our lives, of our actions. Sometimes it takes years to get a "result" out of something we did. Sometimes we never know the true purpose behind something we did.

In 2001, my dad and I traveled to Southeast Asia to meet up with some missionary friends. Our travels took us to a few countries, but my story today is going to focus on Burma. I don't remember a lot about the country. I do remember feeling oppression from the minute we got there and being a bit freaked out the whole time we were there. Being a Christian there is illegal. The government is so freaky and controlling that there are no schools in the country. While there, we went to a couple churches and met some of the leaders. We also went and saw their Bible college. At one point, we had a meal in one of the leaders homes. None of the women were allowed to sit at the table and eat with the men, with the exception of myself and the missionary wife. Awkward! To make matters even worse, the women walked around the table fanning us to keep us cool while we ate! And, in case you are wondering, the women and children ate in another room. But back to the true purpose of my story...

Back to 2009...this week, a friend of my parents called and said he had bought something off ebay that was in LA. He knew my parents were down there and asked if they could swing by and pick it up, as it was a fragile item and he was afraid it would break in transit. My parents, being the great friends that they are, said yes. When they went to pick up the item, they met a really nice Southeast Asian man. Since my family has traveled the area so much, my dad asked where he was from. Turns out he was from Burma. So, my dad told him he had been to Burma and talked about what he was there for. To make a long story short, one of the pastors/leaders we were with over in Burma (even spent the most time with), was his uncle! Such a small world! Then, the guy found out my dad works for the Foursquare Church and told my dad his parents were former Foursquare pastors! Since his parents lived with him, he had his parents come meet my parents. His parents were thrilled to meet them.

What I really want to say from this story is that had my dad never gone to Burma, he would have never connected with these people. They felt so blessed having met and prayed with my parents. So what was the true purpose of the trip? Was it what actually happened while we were in Burma? Or was it for this connection to happen 8 years later? That's the greatness about life. You never know how the puzzle fits together!