Life is like a puzzle with one
thousand pieces. When you open the box, it can almost be
overwhelming. You start with the end pieces. The foundation. A heart
prepares for what what's to come. Dreams enhance, with no photograph
that comes with the box, it is the only thing to do. No map that came
with these breaths, so you dream. Once the frame is built, there's a
faith. A beginning. An innocent childhood is created with a smile to
last a lifetime. A faith to move mountains.
You conquer the easy pieces first, the
ones that align just perfectly with one another. The ones that form a
face, or piece together the line that separates sky from land. Light
from dark. It's a happy time because you can see what is being
created. You can understand that ideas in the puzzle maker's heart.
The dark colors come, though. The
colors in the landscape that merge together, and are only a
collection of murky grays and painful blacks. Frustration builds when
the difficult pieces won't fit. And there are still a million pieces
left. You're overwhelmed because the in-congruent piece in your hand
doesn't match any that are scattered across the board. It doesn't
match the plan that you built, constructed; carefully and perfectly.
The dark shades bleed together, hard to separate, hard to place. The
scattered pieces represent your heart, especially the dark ones, they
don't match and all you want is to fix them.
There's a whisper, a silent still
small voice, one that you can only here when your heart is quiet and
still. It says this: “You cannot see the work of art, hidden
beneath the scattered pieces, you cannot see the drawing I've
created, the one I've crafted just for you. Fearfully and wonderfully
made this will be. I promise, if you can only wait and see. I know
it's frustrating because I've been there. Child, you need only be
still and know that I am God. Cast all your anxieties, frustrations,
pains, fears and dreams on Me for I care for you. Child, do not be
anxious, instead turn to me, bring your burdens, and most
importantly, pray. I will bring you a peace that no one will ever
understand. I hold you in the palm of my hand. Do not fear. Trust
that this plan is bigger than you'll know, For My thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are My ways your ways.” You will only hear
His voice, when you are silent, when your heart is breaking, when
your soul is alone, and your mind is listening.
When finally, this life is complete,
your heart has mended, your soul is redeemed and the puzzle is
beautiful, will you understand. The dark pieces were necessary to
create the entire picture. You were blind to see how wonderfully they
merged with the lights. How even the pain was needed to create peace
and healing. With the masterpiece completed, the photograph pieced
together, you will once again be able to turn to the Creator, hear
His voice, fall to your knees and worship the One who knew how you
would cry and doubt, who knew you would look away and fall and
stumble in the dark, who knew you would smile at the little
blessings, who knew you would grieve they way you did when you
thought all was lost. He knew and still, He never turned His face
away from you, He never let his fingers untangle from yours even
though you forgot how they felt against your skin. When eternity is
at your fingertips and the life behind you makes sense, you smile at
the imprint in the sand you left in the span of forever, and you turn
to worship, praise and adore the One who led you through it all.
