Life is like a puzzle
By Shelley
Life, or perhaps events in life, are like a puzzle. When looking upon the box with excitement, the puzzle set before you looks difficult, yet simple enough, at least from the picture on the front cover. However, when you take the box, tip it over, and expose the vast array of pieces, you soon find out that you may be in for a long journey of puzzle building ahead.
While looking at the puzzle, you are astonished and the varying shapes and sizes of the pieces. A puzzle is never constructed exactly the same as another. Each piece serves a unique purpose, and yet combines with another piece to make the whole picture. Some pieces fit together very easily; their connections are simple to see. Outside edges are usually constructed first because you get the frame of the entire picture; you have the boundaries.
However, when trying to get to the main part of the picture, the "meat and potatoes (if you will)," one finds that it is harder to make other connections. There are even times when putting together pieces that, having become so frustrated, you may even want to give up.
Just when you think you can't get the stupid piece to fit with another, by some glimmer of chance or hope or SOMETHING... the pieces begin to fit together. Now, after all the frustration, downheartedness, and just overall pessimism, elation fills the heart. Granted, you are left somewhat tired and beaten, but charged to continue because the puzzle must be completed.
Now, this goes off and on for a while, until the very end. You know, where you have that ONE piece left... and wh...what?!?! You're missing a piece?! You search around frantically in hopes the vacuum cleaner did NOT suck it up. You overturn the box, chairs, tables, rugs. There are two possibilities: 1) you find the piece and jump up and down in elation or 2) the manufacturer has SCREWED up, and you are left downhearted because the puzzle is now incomplete.
Coming from a Christian perspective (and looking upon the puzzle = life), 2) can't be an option. The Manufacturer (God) is perfect. He doesn't screw up. All the pieces within the puzzle will fit together. Although there are times where things go completely GREAT, amazing, and glorious, there are also times when things go very frustratingly in our sinful lives. When this happens, the instructions (the picture on the box – the Bible) are still there for us to look at and help guide us to the goal (a more complete understanding of God’s love and grace). Sometimes, we feel like we are missing pieces, that life doesn't seem complete, and yet, somehow, the pieces fit together no matter how small or big, great or horrible the event.
I guess my long analogy moral is this: Every event in our life is unique. Sometimes it's easy to endure, sometimes it's hard. An event can be so amazing and another time... extremely testing. Each event (puzzle piece, personality trait, etc) is unique and aids in making each person’s puzzle different from another’s. Yet, the goal is always the same (especially to us Christians) when constructing the complete puzzle. Our goal is to complete the puzzle, to see the "big picture", and complete the task the Manufacturer has given to us.
And, if we so choose to display the puzzle while it’s being completed, we can be confident that the glue that holds the puzzle together is faith – our faith in Christ Jesus. Things may seem extremely hard right now. Indeed, there are times where we question “Why Lord? Why now? I know you don’t give us more than we can bear, but for the love…you’re cuttin’ it close.” Remember, just when you get mad enough at the puzzle pieces and look towards Christ, the pieces fit together, almost like magic, and the frustration is forgotten. Just when you think you are ready to give up, something clicks, and everything is corrected.
There is no toll free number on our “box” because we are complete. We don’t need to call the manufacturer because of a missing piece. There are no missing pieces in our puzzle with Christ as our focus. He holds our puzzle together. He helps the pieces fit together and guides us to press on and strive to complete the puzzle and accomplish the goal.
“We cannot choose the things that will happen to us. But we can choose the attitude toward anything that happens.” ~ Alfred A Montapert
“Can I not do with you as the potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.” ~ Jeremiah 18:6
“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28
Life, a Christian life, a SIN-filled Christian life is filled with emotions because we feel like the pieces don’t fit. Yet…as in Romans 8:28, after that time of frustration, of confusion…it works. ~ Shelley