I could not find the card container.
It was orange, not a color easy to miss. It was the size of a kids’ stack of flash cards. My granddaughter and I had been matching the cards across the floor. We didn’t have many toys scattered, so I was surprised I couldn’t find it. Her mom and I were picking up before she left when we realized we didn’t have it. Maybe it slid between couch cushions. No. Maybe I carried it into another room mid-task. No. Maybe it was put away with other toys. No.
I put the flashcards in a plastic bag to temporarily contain them, but I knew the orange plastic box was in my house somewhere. And it’s not a big house.
After they left, I took another glance but couldn’t find it. We had looked under the couches, but I took one more look; this time, I laid on the floor on my stomach and scanned the floor around the room.
Found it.
It was somehow under the china cabinet, which is in the far corner, not close to where we were playing. But we had been running around dancing through that room and the kitchen. Maybe in our fun, one of us kicked the plastic box and it skittered across the floor and under the cabinet without us noticing.
It was not important, but I was glad to find it and return the cards to their container. I am weird like that; I like things in their places. I’m completely fine with messes when it’s part of the process. Be creative, tear everything apart to clean and organize, have fun and explore. Then put the pieces back together so it’s ready for the next experience.
I know we’re never completely put together as individuals, but I hope I’m just as intentional about searching for missing pieces and organizing the pieces that need to be put together in order to function well. I hope I’m as intentional about inviting the mess, being creative, and reorganization. It’s all important. God is creative and orderly, yet the world we live in is messy. That’s what happens as we (and others) make choices and deal with consequences.
We can’t always find exactly the piece we need, but it’s never out of his sight. Neither are we.
Pure Purpose 