Life as a Puzzle

What does one do on a snow day when you have already read all the books that you have in your home and the library is 10 miles away through horizontal snow? Last week I had this problem. (I did have work I could have done…..and yes, I did do some of it.)

I also chose to start a puzzle. Winter is the perfect time to start a puzzle…at least I think so. And since winter decided to show up again, I thought it was the prime time to get one started. My husband helps occasionally but typically leaves it up to me. The puzzle I am working on is 1000 pieces and is a Thomas Kincaid picture.

When working a puzzle, I tend to start by finding all the outside edge pieces. I wonder if this is typical? I think I would find it impossible to fix if I had to start with one of the center pieces. I like having the edges as a boundary.

There is something about fixing puzzles that makes me think of living life. Life is made up of so many colorful pieces that don’t always seem to go together. When all those pieces are in the box it can look like a mess and a hodgepodge of mismatched bits and a swirl of colors. It is a great help to see the picture on the lid so you know what the finished product should look like and where all those colors fit in.

I have no idea what the finished picture of my life looks like. I just know there are a lot of little pieces that make up my life. I also realize that I haven’t even seen all the pieces that are still to be used to fix my life puzzle. They are somewhere in that box labeled “Chicken Grandma”.

It takes the Master to take those pieces out of the box and slowly begin putting them together. He takes the colors and all those crazy shaped pieces and places them just so in my life to make a beautiful picture of Grace. He makes order and beauty out of a box of pieces that seem so random, but are not really random at all.

I am so glad He has the lid to the puzzle box that is my life and He knows exactly what that life will look like when it has been completed. I only get to see the portions that He has already put together for me.

It is amazing to me when looking at the parts of my life that are already pieced together what a picture of blessing my life really is. Even the pieces that are dark and gloomy looking are just a part of a much bigger beautiful picture, that all speak grace and love.

I am wondering if the puzzle that is our lives actually has those finished edges that I like to start with. Or, do you think maybe our life puzzles just fit and intertwine with the next persons puzzle and their puzzle fits with the next and so on? I kind of hope so. I love the thought that we are all part of a bigger picture that takes all of our pieces to finish.

I love all those pieces that represents the friends and family that are part of my life. You all make my life so much richer and add so much color. And yes some of you add a little craziness and so much fun!  You also add so much blessing. May you be blessed in return.

 

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16
NIV