Jigsaw Puzzle

rust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

It looked simple enough on the box. Let’s face it, how hard it is to do a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle? Boy, was I wrong in my assumption! I dumped the pieces on the table, and the colors were so alike.

I started doing sections, thinking it would come together eventually. Two weeks later that puzzle was completed and is now hanging in my living room. There were so many times I felt like giving up and putting it back in the box. But each day I would get a puzzle piece and put it down where it belonged, then suddenly another and another. It was looking more like the picture on the box.

I began to think how my life is like a jigsaw puzzle. God has made each piece to fit together perfectly. He gives me grace and mercy when I try to force a piece of my puzzle in the wrong place.

I thought about the times when God was doing things in my life that I didn’t understand--why something I wanted so badly did not come my way. God was holding the correct piece in His hand. He was waiting patiently for me to let go and let Him take over.

Even though I do not understand why things happen the way they do, I know everything passes through God’s hand before it reaches us. He chips away and prunes us like a gardener does a tree to help it produce vibrant fruit or blooms. It can be a painful and challenging process, but one that makes us more like Jesus. Once He is through, we have a testimony to share. Just like the jigsaw puzzle, once completed I could see the beauty of the puzzle, not just the pretty picture on the box.

When we walk with God and let Him put the pieces together, we become beautiful in His sight, and we can share with others what He has done in our lives

Mitzie Avera