One piece at a time

Snow days. My school has had 4 consecutive snow days. The first couple of days were really exciting and the break was much needed. But days 3 and 4? I started getting a little bored. During the 3rd day, I broke out some puzzles, which everyone seemed to enjoy...well...most everyone. You occasionally run into those people who don’t like puzzles. And I completely understand that. Sometimes they are really difficult and yes, even the people that love them can get sick of them. Puzzles are not for the faint of heart. Mark my words.

Why do I love puzzles? I guess its the challenge of it all. Its kinda suspenseful in a way, like you know the goal or the final outcome, but the whole process of getting the picture put together is rather intriguing. And it might get frustrating. I try so many different combinations that give the false appearance of a perfect fit. Some pieces I try 57 times before I find its proper location. And then I lose a puzzle piece and I can’t even finish the puzzle because that one piece has the power to ruin the entire project. Putting together a puzzle isn’t easy. It’s difficult. I mean, if it was easy, where would the challenge be? Where is the intrigue? No, they’re hard and they take time. But the feeling I get when I know that I completed the puzzle, when I see for myself the beautiful masterpiece that was once just a pile of oddly shaped cardboard, for a split second, I feel like I’ve conquered the world.

My life is a puzzle. I have an idea of what the puzzle is supposed to look like, but I don’t have the entire picture. Only God does. I have some of the pieces, but I don’t have all of them. Only God does. And slowly, yet steadily, He gives me pieces of the puzzle, and slowly, and not-so-steadily, the pieces find their place. And slowly, things start to make sense and the picture begins to form.

And you know what? That’s ok. It’s ok not to know the whole picture. People have this idea that you must know everything now so that you can prepare for your future, and that’s great; preparation is good. But how do you know your future? How do you know exactly what you’re going to be doing 13 years from now? James 4:14 declares that you can’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You have to trust God. God knows the story. God knows your story. He is the Author of your book and the Painter of the picture on your puzzle.

I don’t know everything there is to know about my purpose, but I know without a doubt that I have a purpose. I have a future. Someday, it will be clear to me. Someday, I’ll be able to look back and make sense of what God was doing and why I went through certain times of testing. Someday, I’ll understand the purpose for which God was preparing me. But that’s all someday. When is that? I don’t know. But right now, all I can do is trust God and take it one piece at a time.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11

Puzzles and Life. They’re the same.

The only difference is that God doesn’t lose any of the pieces.