LeeAnn Hall
The Jigsaw Puzzle --- 8/1/2007

I think the perfect analogy of my life is a giant jigsaw puzzle. You know the kind that’s in a million different pieces and takes a monotonous forever to put together. The pieces of my puzzle represent my qualities, circumstances, and characteristics that make up the bigger picture. Recently some pieces of my life began to not make sense and they would no longer fit like I wanted. I’m very independent by nature and I truly believed I had everything under control. Little did I know that was the source of the problem.

I just couldn’t figure out why the pieces of my puzzle that God had given me weren’t fitting together. I began to feel like everything I did just complicated the puzzle even more and that I should give up. I got so upset with myself and yes, even with God. I tried to make things seem okay and pass off the picture I had created as one of those abstract works of art. I kept telling myself that I was young and everything would eventually make sense. However God knew what a complete mess I was. I’m also very stubborn. So He started to get a strong hold of me, and - trust me - He doesn’t let go.

I wanted to fix my mistakes and maybe just rearrange a few pieces to appease God and then I could go back to my uninformed ways. He finally just took matters into His own hands and told me that if I ever wanted to be truly happy, do something important with my life, and make a difference in this world, that I needed to shape up and give Him control. So after about 6 months of hard fighting and searching, I decided that God wasn’t giving up on me. That realization encouraged me to step back and let Him make me in to whatever it was He wanted.

I came to God confused, broken, distraught, and a perfect candidate. I told God I just wanted to start over with a new perspective. I certainly hadn’t made any progress doing things my way. He agreed, and told me that I would have to trust Him and give up some things. This was easier said than done.

I really wish I had some awesome story about a particular sermon or prayer meeting that I surrendered to God, but I don’t. Besides, for me personally, the best and only way to solve a puzzle is to do it gradually. So, when I was ready, God picked up the misplaced pieces of my life and shook them all up. Now, with graceful assurance He places each piece precisely where it needs to go as I sit wondering why it took me so long to do this. Life, like a puzzle, is definitely a learning process.

That’s when I learned that the puzzle I had tried to solve didn’t fit together because there were pieces to me that I didn’t know about. There were pieces that only God could give and made me dependent upon God. They included faith, strength, and courage, among other things. I know that my puzzle is just now beginning to take form, but I can’t help but think that if I trust God and place everything in His hands, then I will be just fine. It’s a win-win situation.

I know now that God gives everyone their own puzzle with pieces uniquely designed just for them. You see, puzzles don’t take skill. They take the very three things that God desires from each of us: time, effort, and sacrifice. I’ve also learned that my puzzle isn’t really about me. The completed puzzle should be a picture of God and His seal of approval on my life. I want to worship Him because that’s why I was created. I want to serve Him because that’s all I’m worthy to do. I want to love Him because He loved me before my existence. It’s good to know that I can humbly say I am wonderfully made because He is my Creator!