A Small Piece of a Large Puzzle

Written by Addi - Serving in the Czech Republic

This week, God worked in my heart through a seemingly insignificant, frustrating moment that I don’t want to forget. I was setting up the room for the crafting afternoon for the day, and decided to move the world puzzle book. The problem was that I was so lost in thought that I ignored how I picked up the book, and there went Australia all over the floor. Anxiety began to spiral as I knelt to put the puzzle back together. I hate puzzles and am terrible at them, so it took way longer than it should have. I still needed to finish preparing for the crafting afternoon and was starting to get stressed and frustrated. The night before, I had also been struggling with feeling completely inadequate and that I had no idea what I was doing and how I could have any significant impact on God’s kingdom here in Prague. As I tried to shove the same piece in several different times without success, I realized that I’ve been trying to do that with my life. Then, I put the pieces down, took a deep breath, and prayed and asked God to slow me down and help me to hear his voice. Sitting there on the floor in front of the puzzle, I realized that I am one small part of a larger story and plan. God sees the whole picture, but I only see the part I’m holding. I’ve been learning from conversations with Jim and Laurie (our hosts) and other missionaries, and learning about the history of Communism in the Czech Republic, that ministry here can take a long time to build trust and relationships. The two key things about Czech Culture that I’ve learned is that people here are very relational and often not as much in a big hurry as people often are in the U.S. Things at the library especially move slowly which has been good for me to remember the importance of slowing down, listening to people’s stories, and just being present in the moment and see how the Lord is at work. I still feel inadequate, but I realized that that’s a good place to be because, in my strength, I am weak. But what is impossible with man is possible with God.

The two words that keep coming up for me are beloved and steadfast. As I start every morning, looking out the window into our little backyard and all the other flats around ours, it is in that stillness and quiet at the start of the day, before I’ve done anything at all to earn it, that I feel the most loved by God. No matter how I feel, God is steadfast, and therefore, I can be as well. God is just as much at work when one kid shows up to a kids’ craft program as if many do. His timing is perfect, and whether the projects I do at the library go well or not, I am still a beloved child of God, and God still has a plan for my life.