Life… it’s like a puzzle
December 18, 2008 – 9:13 pm
By Kaitlyn Stover
Have you ever come across the analogy of life being like a puzzle? With everything we experience whether it be attending college, getting married, having children, moving etc… those encounters each make up a piece of our life’s puzzle.
So, I was driving the other day (I do a lot of thinking while I drive) and I was processing this idea of my life being like a puzzle. I’ve worked on puzzles here and there and have noticed that the start can be quite difficult; trying to find the edges, match the colors, find just the right fits. It’s quite the tedious job… especially the 1,000+ pieced puzzles!
Often times I’ve found a piece that fits alright but doesn’t seem to match what’s around it. Or in other cases I’ve found several pieces at a time that go together perfectly! What an accomplished feeling it is to find the correct piece, isn’t it? And to lay that final piece down… now that’s an exciting feeling! A feeling of victory for sure!
Now compare this with life. I’ve been in situations that have not made much sense… at least not at the time they were taking place. My mother lost a baby over eight years ago and she was eight months pregnant when baby Justice died… that didn’t make much sense to me or to my family. I applied for a job but was not hired… that didn’t make much sense to me. A woman was pregnant with a girl that died in her womb… that didn’t make much sense to the mother. The list goes on and on… am I right? Well, my mom has been able to minister to many women on the topic of miscarriages. She has hugged the hurting and felt their pain… because she too has experienced it. I realized that had I been put in the position I applied for I would not have experienced the AMAZING things God had in store for me. It took about five years before I looked back and was thankful God moved me on. The woman with the baby girl… God made her a promise that He would recompense her loss and He did. She had two sons and when they were of age to be married, one of her sons was with a gal who had the same name as the baby his mom had lost. The other son was with a gal who had that baby’s same birthday! God sees all and is always faithful!
Sometimes we go through situations that don’t make much sense… the puzzle piece seems out of place. We want to see the big picture! We want to know what it’s all going to look like in the end, don’t we? The fact is that God knows everything about everything! He sees what we don’t… He sees the complete puzzle! He knows what pieces go where. When working on a puzzle it can often times take a long time to find a fitting piece… and that can be frustrating… and in life we have those same feelings. If we just trust God and be led by His Spirit though, He will complete the work He began in us.
I’ve been asked the question that if I could be given the ability to know my future… would I want that capability… and I answered NO! There is so much we learn about who God is when we don’t understand what is going on around us. So much of the adventure in life would be taken out if we knew the outcome. I’ve gone to my knees, seeking God for direction… I’ve called out and fasted to know His heart. Would I do those things if I knew exactly where He was taking me? So I ask you… if you were given the ability to know your future… would you want that capability? If your answer is no… then in those times of discomfort, rather than point your finger at God in distrust and worry… crawl up on His lap, lay your head upon His chest and seek Him with all of your heart.
Each “Life” puzzle is different. Sure, some of the pieces might look the same as others but when it’s complete it’s not the same image. Since God created each one of us and He shows no favoritism, every puzzle is good in His sight… different… but good.
Things might not make sense right now… you might be experiencing those unsure feelings… what am I called to? Where am I going? Why was I created? How does God see me? I encourage you to keep pressing on. Don’t give up! There are pieces that have not yet been laid! There is a bigger picture you don’t see!
Life… it’s like a puzzle.
