After Labor Day, it is time to put out the Fall decorations. In my fall decorations boxes, I keep a Fall puzzle. I don’t know why or when this tradition started, but during this time of year, we always have a puzzle out on the table for anyone who walks past the dining room will able to work on it. Mason, our youngest, enjoys working on the puzzle, but only after the border is complete. This morning as I was working on separating the pieces by color and shape, I thought about our lives and those around us. How do our pieces fit together? What kind of picture is displayed when they work together? When we are just getting started, you can see how some pieces and colors fit together nicely; however, others, you stare at and think the puzzle maker made a mistake by adding that piece. And what about the experience of working on a puzzle together? When you find an odd-shaped piece that fits, it is worthy of celebration!
- Romans 8:28 (HCSB)We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
Last summer, we had the privilege of visiting friends in Colorado for a long weekend. As silly as this sounds, this took me out of my comfort zone. They were more of my husband’s friends than mine, and I didn’t know them very well, but my husband was excited about going. Guess what? When we walked in, both couples were working on a Puzzle in the Living room. There could not have been a better way to break the ice or for me to feel included all weekend. I am pretty good at putting together puzzles so I could contribute immediately and felt comfortable.
What puzzle are you putting together? Who is the odd-shaped person in your life that needs a place in your puzzle? I am looking around at all of the “puzzle pieces” in my life and very grateful for those that make the border; they give my life strength and definition. I appreciate those that are the same color hues but have different shapes that similarly contribute to my life but with a twist. I get frustrated with those pieces that appear not to belong, I can’t match the color up with any area of the puzzle, but when it is finally revealed to me, that piece makes a beautiful, perfect placement and contribution.
Let’s look at our lives today as God does, as He reminds us that ALL of those puzzle pieces make a beautiful picture when it is complete.
