Who is the first person you normally look for in a photograph of a group? Yes, admit it, you usually look for yourself first. You look to see if your eyes are open, if you are smiling, if your hair was in place, if you had on the right clothes. All these things can flash through a person's mind when they look at a group picture for the first time.

Recently a group of Northern Taiwan AG ministers, wives, and children went on an all day outing of fellowship to Keelung. We stopped near the Ocean Bay to take a group picture. When we returned home I brought up the picture on my computer. Yes, I first looked to see how Kay and I looked. I was mildly disappointed as you could just barely see Kay in the last row, as only her head appeared. Being tall I stood out, but she was partially hidden being short.

However, I was pleased with the group picture because as I looked at the big picture, everyone seemed so happy, and the big picture was great.

Life is often times that way. If we only look at one part of the big picture we probably will miss what God wants to do with our life. I am convinced that God has a great master plan for each one of our lives. When we look through God's viewfinder, then, we will find that plan, and our place in God's perfect will. It is necessary that we look at God's big picture, and then at our small part in one corner of that big picture.

In church it is easy to focus on our own area of work or ministry. We become so focused that we forget what others are doing. We should look at the big picture to see how our work fits in and blends with the work of others. I am amazed at the five congregations here in Agape ICA, Taipei, Taiwan. Most people attending Agape Central never have seen the three congregations that meet in other locations around the Taipei area. Some see Agape Mandarin as it meets in the morning here in the AG Building. Most people see 80 – 100 people here at Agape ICA but never see the other 350 that are scattered in their local areas. The nearest we have to a group picture is when we have our Annual Missions Convention, Summer Outing, or Christmas Outreach Dinner.

Remember what you are looking at locally is only one small part of a much larger picture. Our pastors, our coordinators, and our volunteers are working hard to make this picture complete. So, let's all enjoy the Big Picture at Agape ICA.