Small World

This week, I have been reminded over and over again what a small world this is for believers in Jesus Christ.

Not surprisingly, throughout the conference in Colombia we have been asked about my parents numerous times. My parents, Jim and Gail Christian, served the final years of their time in South America as “missionaries to the missionaries” in the countries of Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay (what is known as the “southern cone” of South America.) They visited each of these countries one or two times a year, ministering wisdom, encouragement and support to the missionary families and aiding in what ways they could – pulpit supply, teaching the MK’s, etc. They are still remembered and well loved by many of the missionaries on these fields.

More surprising to us has been the number of people who at some point in the conference have put two and two together with Pedro’s name and have come up to us to say they know his parents, Pedro and Kathy Garcia. Some remember them from Bible college and many others from language school in Texas. More than one person has told us that my father-in-law made language school bearable with his sense of humor and practical jokes! He is the kind of person not easily forgotten by anyone who crosses his path, and it has been a treat to run into so many who remember Pedro’s parents fondly as well.

But there have been other reminders of this “small world” as well. This week, I received an e-mail from Hawaii, of all places! It was from someone I’ve never met, but several of her family members attend my in-laws’ church in Texas. She is friends with an American woman who currently lives in Chile and is beginning the process to adopt from abroad. Long story short, her friend Cheryl happens to be one of the ladies with whom I am working closely on the adoption process as we make plans to fly a social worker here to do both of our home studies. Who knew there would be a connection there!

Then tonight, I received a note from Kenzie Stanfield, about whose son Maddox I wrote when he was born with Trisomy 18 and went to be with Jesus. She recently had the opportunity to visit my blog and wanted to share that she, too, lived in Chile for a time, first as an exchange student and then as a university student. Again, what a small world!

This week, one of our speakers drew a visual of how he pictures God’s divine providence. It was funny to watch as he made seemingly senseless lines and scribbles that crisscrossed one another in a very unorganized way. But then he made the statement that if you look closely enough, each of those lines intersects at specific points in the picture … and it is when those seemingly insignificant or unrelated people and events and circumstances in our lives intersect without explanation, that we can often see the hand of God bringing them all together in His perfect plan.

Just imagine what it will be like when each line and scribble of our life and every believer’s life around the world and throughout history intersects in that one common point which is eternity together in Heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a day that will be!