God Sees the Big Picture

Dear friends of mine, sequestered like the rest of us, found that putting a jigsaw puzzle together is a great way to make the most of this at-home time. They chose a 1,000 smaller-pieces puzzle. Far more challenging than 500-pieces like I usually choose! They started off all gung ho – displaying on FB when they completed the frame. I know how that feels as my family and I are puzzle fans also. Getting the frame completed gives the foundation for completing the rest.

It’s usually at Christmas that we’re all-in with getting a puzzle put together. It’s displayed on a table area or kitchen island. We can’t help ourselves – every time we walk past that area, we have to stop and find at least one piece. Such satisfaction comes finding that piece that opens the door for other pieces to pop in. And then the big ta-da – when someone gets to put in the last piece. Oh, the thrill of accomplishment!

But, not so, for my friends. The last piece was never found. She said: “Aargghh! We have one missing puzzle piece. How is that possible?!?” Her husband said: “We finally finished the puzzle, only to find there is a missing piece! 😖 Still enjoyed it enough that we have already ordered another.” Their frustration didn't stop them from carrying on.

And, so it is with us – we don’t let disappointments stop us! My friends had the box lid which showed the 1,000-piece puzzle – all completed. And, we want God to show us our lives: “Please, Lord, show me how this situation – this time of isolation – this time of fear – this time of worry and uncertainty – this time of disappointment – PLEASE show me how it’s going to turn out! I don’t want it to end up with missing pieces.” In real life and in puzzles, God works all things together for good -- but He has a perfect way, a perfect plan, and a perfect time, and He will not be rushed. He just asks us to trust Him.

The outside-of-the-box puzzle picture gives us hope for the finished product. But, it sure seems overwhelming when we first dump out all the pieces on the table. Similarly, we love the picture God presents in His Word of what we may become, what our future looks like, but often our patience gives way before the final picture is put together. God certainly wants us to try! So why don’t we? Let’s keep stretching and trusting and seeking Him Who has the BIG PICTURE already in action. Let’s let God’s grace keep helping us become the best-put-together puzzle we could ever be! We can trust God that He is working on our behalf – even when we don’t see any evidence that He is. That’s what faith is!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

A Lot Can Be Learned From a Jigsaw Puzzle

Day 55 of Photo Inspirations -- What is PUZZLING you?
Putting a jigsaw puzzle together at Christmas is one of our family traditions. We have such fun doing it together. The box top will be in a prominent place where ALL EYES can see it, and, strategically, we'll get the border done first.   Often, it gets tedious to find a piece, and we just have to walk away from it -- refresh -- and come back with a whole new perspective.  When we do, we'll find that piece that ALL eyes, couldn't find before.  It can be quite "puzzling" to complete a puzzle.

There's a lot of life lessons we can learn from a puzzle.....as explained here by Jacquie Sewell:
 
Everything I Needed To Know About Life, I Learned From A Jigsaw Puzzle

1)  Don’t force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.
2)  When things aren’t going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.
3)  Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.
4)  Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.
5)  When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later
6)  The Creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook. Refer to the Creator’s guidebook often.
7)  Variety is the spice of life. It’s the different colors and patterns that make the puzzle interesting.
8)  Working together with friends and family makes any task fun.
9)  Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.
10)  Don’t be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.
11)  Take time often to celebrate your successes—even little ones.
12)  Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can’t be rushed.

Yes, as with the jigsaw puzzle, life can present "puzzling" challenges and "puzzling" situations, but when we keep looking to the Master Creator's plan for our puzzle, get His wisdom for handling the challenges -- He'll be sure to help us finish OUR "life" puzzle with all pieces intact -- and it will be JUST as He planned it to be!  The next time your facing a PUZZLING situation, refer back to these tips.  I'm sure you'll find that MISSING PIECE!

#JigsawPuzzle #Puzzling #HisPlanIsPerfect