Missing Pieces- It’s Puzzling

As writers, we’re taught to write ahead. Write blog posts weeks ahead and schedule them to go out on your regular posting day. Confession—I do not do that. I write mine one week at a time. A terrible habit, I admit. But, thus far, it has worked reasonably well.

My usual thing is to write about what’s going on in my life.  Lately, I’ve written about my response to a sermon we heard either at church or online.

This week, we’ve been putting together a most-difficult puzzle. It’s a one-thousand-piece Ravensburger. Of course, it’s a bookshop. What else would a writer or avid reader choose?

Do you ever think about life being a puzzle? Certainly, it can be puzzling at times, but I’ve never thought of it as being a puzzle until sweet hubby suggested I write about puzzles. Challenge accepted.

MISSING PIECES

When I removed the shrink wrap from the box and then opened it, I expected the bag that was inside to hold all the pieces. However, the bag had a hole in it and several pieces had migrated outside the bounds of the bag. Sigh.

I emptied the bag, threw in the missing pieces, and began turning all the pieces right side up. As always, I began with the perimeter. It appeared that two pieces were missing—on each side. Heavy sigh.

The arduous task of figuring out what goes where began in earnest. A quick search for it told me there was no extra paper on which the entire puzzle was printed. Alas, the box top was all I had to go by. I separated the pieces according to color. It makes it so much easier in the long run.

DIFFICULT – PUZZLES AND LIFE

This one has been difficult.  All those little books. So many colors. And teeny, tiny words. To make matters worse, this particular puzzle doesn’t have clear images. Nope. Many are so blurry you can barely tell what they are, let alone if it is a book and if it has a title. This time, most of the work has been done utilizing color-matching and shape finding. It has come together, not quite finished, however, one or two little pieces at the time.

Isn’t that how life is? It is indeed a puzzle. And it is puzzling at times.

We may not see all the pieces, but God already knows where they are and how they will all fit together for His purposes and to His glory.

The missing pieces, romantic love, a home, children, a great job, are all missing when we are in our youth and when we have such high expectations for our lives. Sometimes, we make a mistake and grab the wrong piece. No matter how hard we try, it simply isn’t going to fit. Even if we turn it around a dozen times and even if we try to force it. Yes. I’ve done that—in life and in putting together a puzzle.

TRUST GOD – HE SEES THE BIG PICTURE

When we give our lives to Christ, we aren’t guaranteed that life is going to be a bed of roses. All the pieces may not come together as we wish, but we have God as our sovereign Lord. He sees the whole picture. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV)  All the pieces of our lives will come together with much greater ease. No more trying to make something fit that doesn’t belong. Trust God to fill in all the missing pieces in your life. Remember, He already sees the big picture, and there is no missing piece in you anywhere that God can’t fill it up.

(Those missing pieces showed up. One yesterday. One today.)

 

Blessings, y’all!

 

One of my all-time favorite hymns. I miss singing these in church. They are the Gospel in song! I chose this one because how does one find a song about puzzles? Or missing pieces? But when we can’t see, God can and does. He will be our vision in all areas of our lives because He sees all the pieces, even the missing ones. He knows exactly where they go.