Origami, Twister and Destiny

I have a confession. I’ve never played Twister. Maybe it’s because we never owned it when I was a kid. Or it could be because I have personal space issues. Or because I lack the requisite flexibility to be competitive.

I’m familiar with the concept though. “Right hand, red.” “Left hand, yellow.” And on it goes. The commands are random, directed by wherever the spinner lands. As a result, the configuration of body parts, only achievable with varying degrees of contortionism, is random too. It’s the unpredictability that makes it fun. Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.

Let’s shift from an American group game to a Japan art form.

People who can do origami intrigue me. They take a simple sheet of paper, fold it, turn it, turn it, fold it again and then, there it is… A crane. A heart. A flower. A frog. To the artist, every fold has its purpose. Every twist and angle has a reason. But to the untrained observer, the steps don’t make sense. The folds are mysterious until the grand reveal.

The writer of Proverbs 20:24 says this: “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?”

It’s a rhetorical question, of course. There’s no value in trying to determine why God said “Right hand, red.” Apparently, there’s comfort in knowing that it’s a Divine Hand, not arbitrary circumstances that’s prompts the steps we take in faith. The pilgrim’s role then, is to hear the command and take the step. Not to dissect the commands for the larger scheme, the consistent thread.

Maybe we’re not just playing Twister. Maybe the folds, twists and turns are leading up to something beautiful. Something we can’t see clearly, but something incredible all the same.