We have a whole closet full of jigsaw puzzles. Some of
them have a thousand tiny pieces. Others have as few as 10 pieces, perfect for
kids. Each puzzle is unique. Each puzzle has its own level of difficulty. For
us grownups, the smaller puzzles with few large pieces are seemingly
effortless. But for the children, they
are quite hard to do.
Children are more intent on seeing the pieces fit
together. They get frustrated easily and
are ready to quit. They don’t know how
to relate the bigger picture on the box to their fragments lying on the table.
For adults the small pieces can be quite frustrating as
well. If there’s a huge expanse of water, it all looks alike. If there’s a
forest scene, those pieces too tend to run together. The subtle nuances of colors in the water and
in the trees seem so clear when looking at the big picture, but searching them
out piece by piece seems so confusing.
The smaller pieces are easy to lose as well. One piece left out is very
hard to find. If you’re only seeing the uncolored underside it’s especially
difficult.
Once the puzzle is put together it all makes sense. Often though, the puzzle sits on the dining
table or a coffee table for some time. The puzzle fitter goes back and forth
and tries to fit a piece at a time. Kids
on the other hand like to stay until the entire puzzle is right. They’re just
not patient about it at all.
Life is a lot like a puzzle. We only see small pieces
at a time. Even the larger pieces don’t
always make sense. We get frustrated and we want to know why things don’t come
together. We want to make sense of life and get everything neatly in
order. Often certain problems linger and
we want to spend all our time on that one area.
We tend to work on the darker areas and try to figure out why they are
so difficult. We’re like children – we
want it together and we want it now. Especially if the puzzle we’re working on
relates to family. We want God to put the pieces back together quickly in our
lives and the lives of those we love. We’re concerned that part of the equation
will get lost and the beautiful picture of our loved ones’ lives will never be
right.
As long as we’re the puzzle fitter for our lives and
for those we love, we’re going to be in constant turmoil. We won’t be able to
see the big picture until the very end. Even if we have something to look at
the image is often distorted and discolored. But when we let the One Who
created the heavens and the earth do the fitting we can relax and rest in the
trust that comes from faith in Him.
Is your life puzzling to you right now? Did you think
you knew how to put it all together only to find the pieces were swept to the
floor and scattered yet again? Do you want to just pour your life into a box
and shake it all out to try it over? Maybe you’re ready to throw away the
pieces, the box and your hopes and dreams.
You can’t choose the pieces to the puzzle, but you can relax and let the
One Who puts the stars and planets in order to do the right thing even in the
most puzzling of situations.
Oh beloved, there is One Who holds all the pieces to
the puzzle of your life securely in His hands. Each one is numbered and being
laid out in correct order oh so lovingly. He can be trusted for He alone holds
the keys to all of life – from the joyful to the mundane to the horrendous to
the mournful. He makes no mistakes, cuts
no wrong pieces and has a perfect picture for the final display. He’s watching
over your life and carefully allowing all the little things that you’d prefer
to discard fit together for your good and His glory. He says to you this
morning, My beloved – Let Me have all the pieces. Quit trying to be perfect and
make sure it all fits. I AM the One who holds the whole earth together and I
will hold you together, even if it takes a lifetime. In the end you will be
blessed and I will be glorified as together we admire the fantastic picture of
your life in Christ. Even if you mix up the pieces, I AM the one who can
straighten it all out. Even if you lose a piece of the picture, I AM the one
who lets nothing be lost. I AM your answer to everything and I AM the one who
loves you completely and I AM for you eternally and that’s all that really
matters. Hand those pieces to Me and
watch as I make a beautiful tapestry of it all!
Ecclesiastes 11:5 Just as you cannot understand the
path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so
you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.
1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly, like
puzzling reflections in a mirror; but then we will see everything with perfect
clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know
everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Colossians 1:17 He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation
together.
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to
work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to
His purpose for them.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who
trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!
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