Many thanks to Jerry and many others for the inspiration behind this one! Love you all! God BLESS!
Jigsaw Puzzle
When I was a little girl I hated puzzles it was time consuming. And I as a child did not have the time to sit down and rack my brains and put something together. I just did not have patience and no matter how hard I tried to sit down and dedicate myself to one it was pointless. After all I had horses to ride, trees to climb, fish to catch, and mud pies to make! It just did not interest me. Because again, it took so much time and patience. Little did I know I could have learned a lot about God if I did take the time. How? Well now that I am grown I think back on those simple moments to actually see the beauty of God in something as simple as a jigsaw puzzle which is trust and patience, but most of all faith in God.
Being born again is something like that I think. How? Here is a project for you take a jar put all the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in the jar no peeking at the box now to see what it is. It will defeat the purpose.
Okay once they are in that jar take a good look what do you have? That is a simple answer right? You have a bunch of pieces, but wait a minute not so simple, you have no picture, no clue where to start or what it is or what it will become. You see through man’s eye we have no clue. We see a bunch of pieces not knowing where to begin we would have to turn the jar upside down pour them all out and figure out the corners right? This is how we handle our life we scatter the pieces because that is how we have to make it work, we scatter, we have to have it all laid out. We need to have the bank account balanced, retirement in place, our jobs we have to be organized, detailed, on schedule, the morning starts out with a foot on the floor and out the door! If everything goes smooth and we can look at the picture and know where the day is going to end we are at peace. But what if it does not? And we are left with a jar full of so many pieces and with no picture box? Do we have faith and be patient pull the pieces out one by one? Do we stop and pray, wait for the Lord to guide us? Do we complain about how someone or something threw all our plans in a kilt today? Do we worry about how it all has not turned out as we planned? Fuss about our box not having a picture? Or do we simply trust in the Lord?
The one standing over us as we stare at the jar full of pieces wants us to step out of the way. Why? SIMPLE he sees the picture, he knows it, he knows us, our character. He wants to reach down in that jar because unlike us he will not scatter the pieces, he will not confuse you. He will reach that pierced hand in that jar and do what he is suppose to do if you have faith and trust in him it will take patience on your part. You have to sit down, be still and know that he is God. Watch the master create a master piece out of your life. Watch him as the fruits of the spirit place each piece together. The very pieces
he is God. Watch the master create a master piece out of your life. Watch him as the fruits of the spirit place each piece together. The very pieces of your life not the past now, that is gone, he is going to reshape the puzzle...to glorify him.
At first they will not all be pretty and some will need some smoothing around those rough edges. Sin? NOT A PROBLEM! He will bring out those pieces and they will be clean as he gently places one next to the other. Chaos, drama, watch as he states “Peace be Still” Just like the disciples in the boat, the foundation of your life is beaten, torn, and one piece looks like it will not fit! Remember we only see one piece at time what looks unfinished, confusing, and out of place to us, he knows all the pieces and where they go.
The outcome? Well that is not for me to answer. I am still learning to remain seated! However I can say even though I am impatient I do trust God and I know in the end God will have created a masterpiece out of scattered pieces.
I hope that you too will trust in the Lord with your life. Just remember the words of King David,
Psalm 139
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 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, your eyes saw my unformed body. NIV
Before you turn your life upside down trying to make the pieces fit move out of the way and let the one that knew you before you were ever formed in your mother’s womb place those pieces together for you so you can be a testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
© Shannon Wendler September 9th 2010