The Bigger Picture

A photo from Alaska: Keweenaw, the dog. Focused on her favourite play thing - snowballs.

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Note to readers: Beware as I have begun sharing the musings and adventures from New Zealand in two separate locations. The writings in each location may very a great deal from time to time, or, they may be very similar.

Check out the website of Skyline Family Fellowship (www.skylinefamily.com) and find your way to the Missionary Updates under the Missions heading. There, one shall find additional thoughts of an Alaskan Down Under. Notably, this week, as the post to Skyline has taken a very different look to the post captured in the words below. Perhaps the post to Skyline is a bit more "newsy".
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It's been just a bit over three weeks since arriving here in New Zealand. As I think back over the days it strikes me as to how many of them appeared to be quite slow, yet the three weeks has really flown by - much to my dismay.

I had high hopes of accomplishing many tasks within that time frame. Yet I now realize that the accomplishment of tasks is not a proper focus for life. As Ge-off pointed out the other day, life isn't captured in a bullet-point list of to-do's. Nor are relationships.

We live in a community of people here who are dedicated to serving God, in this place and in this time. This place is a place of learning and a place of sending out. Yet, as we live in this place and work in this place we begin to focus much on our roles in this place and unknowingly remove ourselves from our roles in the world at large.

And this is supposed to make sense, right? Why should a person care about the world at large or their role therein? Because a person matters. A person has a role in the world whether they believe it significant or not. The challenge is to view life in a way that removes a person from the bubble in which they exist - there is a bigger picture.

This is the challenge here in our little world of YWAM Oxford. We do send out teams to well over 40 countries per year. Teams that participate in many ministries across the nations. Teams that report back here every week. We do keep in mind the work that God is doing the world over, and here in this place. Yet in all of this we tend to narrow our view to a little piece of what our bubble encompasses.

And by "we" I don't mean everyone. In fact, I probably can only speak for myself here. But I know others struggle with this as well - keeping a perspective on the bigger picture.

Then of course, the question must arise as to what exatcly is the "big" picture. How does one define this? Hmmm. Good question. There may be many answers that come to mind.

However, there is just one Truth.

Comet McNaught & Community Living

I didn't take this picture! But Ge-off did ->>> James 127 Photography
http://www.myspace.com/james127photograpy

Comet McNaught as viewed from the lookout near Oxford last night.
Learn more about Comet McNaught here.

Will's long exposure artwork - the dark areas have been enhanced. Long shutters combined with a LED headlamp and great patience created some striking images.

We ventured up to the lookout around 11:30 pm last night just after remarking through yawns as to how it was time to go to bed. Well, our dedicated Canadian friend pointed out the Comet in the starry, night sky and we couldn't help but seek out a better viewing location...

Some of us captured better images than others - we all, at the least, enjoyed viewing the comet together and watching the long exposure artwork of Will and Trevor.

So goes life in community. My best intentions are many times overridden with an opportunity to spend time with people in relationship - be it chatting, playing a board game, sharing stories of our lives, or taking pictures in the middle of the night.

It's good though. Very good. Of course my best intentions to keep a few blogs going throughout the week have certainly not been the case as of late. I do not give up hope of sharing a bit more as to what is going on here. Although, such sharing may have to wait at least one more day... or few days.

Arrival

Yes, 'tis true, I have arrived in New Zealand.

Every day I have thought, "Oh, I really need to post to the blog and sift through the stacks of waiting emails!" Uh, that thought, while very much a necessity in my mind, has seen little progress in the past six days since arriving here.

Much activity as the new DTS begins. Students arriving and last minute preparations to be accomplished. It's all quite good, and quite busy.

Believe me, someday soon, someday soon...