The Puzzle

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.