When You don't have All the Pieces

Have you ever done a puzzle that took many days to complete. When I was a kid my mom used to buy puzzles with like a thousand pieces or 5,000 pieces. Super small pieces. She would put them out on our dining room table with the picture we were supposed to create and on weekends, we would spend a few hours working on it. Sometimes two of us, sometimes 4 of us at the same time. Through the week we worked on it whenever we could and added a few pieces here and there. We would try to make this wonderful picture the best we could as quickly as possible. I must admit I don't remember those puzzle making days as exciting as some would imagine. However, I always found it amusing when my little brother would hide a piece just so he could put in the last piece. Although, that would frustrate my parents who put the largest amount of hours working on the puzzle. I remember one time there were a couple of pieces missing, and no one had taken them, they just disappeared. My brother swore he didn't take them, but my parents had their doubts. We went on a huge search party all over the floors and around the dining table. It was one of those huge wooden type tables where things could get lost in the sculpted crevices. After a couple of searches, the pieces where finally found somewhere on the floor. Although, my brother could have placed them there while we were not looking.

When you don't have all the pieces of the puzzle, you can't finish the picture. Can you imagine purchasing a puzzle with 5,000 pieces and the manufacture not putting in all the pieces. The maker of the puzzle would destroy the very reason why people buy puzzles: To create something beautiful or cool out of different pieces. Our lives can sometimes feel like it's in different pieces and we are trying to put them all together. We attempt to create a better picture for others to see, or a completed portrait of what we want to be out of all the pieces that make up our journey on earth. However, at times pieces go missing. Maybe it's someone trying to hide a piece or maybe it gets lost in the midst of doing life. Or maybe someone else is holding pieces. Or maybe we think we have all the pieces, but the Maker of our lives might add a surprise twist to a few pieces. Maybe this year you had a picture of what your life should look like, but the pieces didn't quite match. The pandemic has destroyed your healthy piece or your financial piece, and the puzzle of your life isn't coming together the way you planned. Maybe your puzzle just doesn't make sense.

If you feel that way, reflect on these words: "When I cannot make sense of it, I can remind myself that I do not hold all the pieces of this puzzle." - Tricia Williford

I love to have full control of my future, but I realize that is not possible. I can put pieces together, but sometimes my picture doesn't make sense. In those times I need to trust that the Maker of the universe is the Maker of my life and He is ultimately in charge. The more I think about that scenario, the more at peace I am because putting all the pieces in His hands is a good place to be. So when you don't think you have all the pieces figured out or all the pieces accounted for, trust that the Maker of the world will help you put together a perfect picture for your life. "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)