The largest completed jigsaw puzzle consisted of 551,232 pieces. It was completed by 1600 students of the University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. This remarkable event took place in September of 2011, the students worked from 7 am to nearly midnight that day. Honestly, my eyes cross just looking at the online pictures of their accomplishment.
I really enjoy testing my ability to discern colors and shapes while chatting with family members and consuming carbohydrates. I experience absolute joy when I find that one piece that took a half bag of Twizzlers to finally discover. However, I am what might be labeled as a puzzle lightweight. I shy away from the boxes that celebrate 1000 pieces. Just the number instills an instant feeling of defeat. 500 is my maximum load limit when purchasing these small bits of cardboard that are designed to challenge and inspire those who are willing to take on the task.
Sometimes, my life feels like an overwhelming 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. I wonder how can I possibly move all the seemingly unrelated pieces together to form a work of art. How can I mold together, my home, career, family, friends, writing, and serving to complete God’s design for me in the precious limited amount of time I have left to spend on this planet?
I read in God’s word a description of the beautiful picture my life is promised to be and wonder how those misshapen, fragile pieces will ever become something of beauty and value.
So often I have taken the pieces of my life and tried to force this perceived work of art to appear. I live as if it is up to me to control the outcome of this project called life. I become impatient with my progress, I grow tired of the journey and my pathetic attempts to create beauty. My unfortunate solution to my snail-like progress is to snatch a handful of irregular cardboard shapes and manipulate them, squeezing them into spaces they don’t fit and were not designed to assist those around them in completing the puzzle.
My impatience and desire for control drives me to take on duties that are not mine to take. To take on tasks that others can better do, and responsibilities that are not mine alone. I try to mold myself into a space that I was never designed to fit. This behavior causes me to become unnecessarily weary and resentful. I overthink and do my darndest to manage all issues and decisions that cross my path. At times I freeze up and become unable to move in any direction as no choice truly offers a certain and perfect outcome. I seem to have created an image in my mind of how my life will turn out, “should” turn out. I have planned what steps, and which pieces of the puzzle I need to manipulate to reach my goal. It’s remarkable the amount of time I spend attempting to hammer out what I see as a good outcome of my puzzle.
Why do I allow my own thoughts, plans, and agenda to drown out the loving, voice of my Father? He alone is able to direct me in his own perfect time, in His perfect way. Why do I allow myself to become so focused on completing and controlling the puzzle that I miss out on celebrating the small victories of pieces coming together in a surprising and totally unique way? A beautiful way I have no capability of creating on my own.
News flash, the Lord has not called me to complete this 1000-piece puzzle. Let’s face it, I don’t even have the completed picture available to follow. Even if I did, these small, arthritic hands are not designed for His work of precision.
What I envision as a thousand pieces of chaos in need of corralling into something useful, my Father only sees the completed work of art. God sees me through the eyes of his sacrificed son, chosen, forgiven, and His child. It is not because of anything I do but only by His grace. And, He graciously continues to sanctify me with the power of His Word, His Spirit, and in community with other followers of Christ.
I am “chosen”
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.“
Colossians 3:12
I am “forgiven”
“In Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”
Ephesians 1:7
I am His “child”
“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir”.
Galatians 4:6-7
By “His grace alone”
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them, I sanctify myself that they too may be truly sanctified.”
John 17:17-19
Finally, for anyone who calls Jesus “Lord”. Anyone who earnestly declares themselves “crucified with Christ”, will you join me in placing the puzzle pieces back in the box? Let’s close the top and place our hope, and our trust in the One who sees us as His masterpiece.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10
My new favorite song, enjoy!!