What is PUZZLING You?

Fun photo of my Larry and Staci working hard on a jigsaw puzzle together. Not! Not the puzzle because it was lying there waiting for attention, but asking these two, who were very busy working at their computers, to pretend they had the time on this day to find a few pieces and connect them. They helped me stage my inspiration for today's blog.

It isn’t out-of-the-ordinary for this family to have a jigsaw puzzle going at the end of their kitchen island. And I have been known to add to the continuation of the fun by gifting another one to them. I’m catering to my own enjoyment of finding a few pieces to add to the project when I stop by. But, this recent puzzle has been sitting on their island since I gifted it to them for Valentine’s. The border is done (that’s the easy part) with some added pieces, but progress has been slow with this one. Why?

This jigsaw puzzle is lenticular which means the image has an illusion of depth and changes when viewed from different angles. In other words, what I saw as a fun opportunity to expand our horizons, has become an “eye-sore” – literally. The way the light hits the variegated shiny pieces, you have to move your head back and forth to not only see the angles of the pieces to match a partner piece, but the colors are so skewed, your eyes get sore just looking at it. I offered to take the puzzle back, but, as in anything they do, they are up for the challenge! In the meantime, we are all puzzled by this puzzle!

Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent when we have the opportunity to work on the skewed, difficult-to-reason-out pieces of our lives – those “eye-sore” pieces and welcome this time of seeking God for a clean slate and being transformed to who He desires us to be. We will receive ashes on our foreheads, in the form of the cross. We will be thinking, “I welcome transformation. I welcome You, Lord, to cleanse and purify me as I approach Good Friday when your Son paid the ultimate price for me. I welcome Resurrection Sunday when I rose with Him into the abundant life He promised to give me as I walk faithfully with Him."

Yes, as with the jigsaw puzzle, life can present "puzzling" challenges and "puzzling" situations, but when we submit to His desires for us to be renewed and transformed, our Master Creator steps in and gives us His wisdom for handling the challenges and 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!

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

LENT is About a Change of Heart

Day 10 of LOVE in this Love Month -- LENT is About a CHANGE of Heart
Today (Ash Wednesday) starts the season of Lent. It continues...40 days... through Holy Thursday just before Easter. It's the time when we begin preparing our hearts and minds for Easter. It's a time of intentional laser focus on HIM.

Often we hear the word "Lent" and we think "lint" -- those little fibers that get on our clothes from other fabrics and we use a little sticky lint remover tool to get it off. And Lent means sort of the same thing -- taking the time to "come clean" -- to rid ourselves of the funk and junk that has settled in our hearts. It's remembering the undescribable sacrifice of love that causes us to want to have hearts "swept clean" for His place of residence in us.

During this time people fast and abstain from things that seem to have control over their lives, and it's also, rather than restraining ourselves, it's the "get ready, get set and go" time when we give to others....very purposefully. Random acts of kindness, donate to charities, etc. It's all about HEART CHANGE -- from the "It's all about me" to the "It's all about YOU, God!"

Lent is a time to remember, to recall, and to renew our love and commitment to Him. We spend a lot of time REMEMBERING the LOVE God had for us in giving us His one and only SON. We remember the LOVE He demonstrated by coming to this earth, becoming a man (like you and me), living a life of servitude and then was willing to die, be buried, and rise from the grave and lives today to draw us to Himself. Lent is about being fully ATTRACTED to Him WHO is ATTRACTED to us on a daily basis.

Typically, our thoughts are more on what our next meal will be, or the next TV show to watch, or the next assignment we'll be on to, or the plans for the weekend or the next trip or vacation we'll take. Many times, we simply go about our routines without really ever giving God a second thought.

So, what if, for the next 40 days, we were able to be less distracted by making a few changes to our routine? Maybe we give up our "must have" coffee in the morning, or the favorite reality show that "we just can't miss", or turn off our cell phones during meal times with family. Maybe we forego taking a nap, and, instead, we take a walk. And for everything we give up, maybe, instead, we spend time focusing our thoughts and hearts on Christ.

Perhaps as we acknowledge the little things that sometimes distract us from God, we become more aware of the weight of His sacrifice for us. And in turn, we might just be one step closer to fully embracing His grace and unfailing love for us this Easter. Maybe this Easter will be a REAL resurrection to celebrate -- the resurrection from our OLD selves to our NEW selves in Him.