The Puzzle

This is a shot today of our dining room table at home. I'm somewhere in the middle of piecing together 1000 pieces that all look a lot alike and yet are each uniquely different. When I'm done, I'll have nice picture of a lighthouse--right now, I have chaos.

I started doing puzzles several years ago when I was going through a period of stress. It was suggested to me that the exercise of building a puzzle might just help me relax. I think that it does help.

I always start by building the border--that way I know what my limits are. Next I look for easily recognizable and unique patterns like the buildings which I clearly finished first. These pieces are unique in color and it's not too hard to see how they fit together. The hardest part are the pieces that all look alike--in this case the sky and the water. Sometimes I have to resort to trying each individual piece in succession until I find the perfect fit. It can be tedious work but it really feels good when you see a piece drop into place perfectly.

I am in the process of trying to decide if I am supposed to stay at Cornerstone or if I might be a better fit somewhere else. The border seems to be in place and so I'm simply looking for all of the other pieces that might look like me. I have a unique shape, a unique color, and somewhere out there is a unique space just waiting for my arrival. God is the one building the puzzle to which I belong--a puzzle that we might call the Kingdom of God. I've been doing lots of praying, lots of searching in the Scriptures, and lots of talking with my friends and family. I would like to see God simply drop me in place but this puzzle piece seems to have been given a choice.

I would ask all who may stumble upon this post to take a moment and to lift up some prayer for the Samples' family.

Perhaps Moses was working on a puzzle when he prayed to God, "You tell me, 'I know you well and you are special to me.' If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way I will continue being special to you. Don't forget, this is your people, your responsibility" (Exodus 33:13, The Message).