Uncommen: Start at the FinishНамуна

Puzzling, Isn't It?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Usually, you buy a puzzle with a picture on it and start building it by matching the pieces to the image. Unfortunately, it is far easier to do a puzzle with a picture than not. Even harder, try creating a 4,000-piece Lego set with no picture or instructions. I would bet it wouldn't look anything like it was supposed to, not to mention how long it would take you!

Even with a picture, assembling a giant puzzle can be daunting. Our pieces would interconnect in odd ways. A piece we thought looked like a tree could be part of the mountain in the background. Sometimes, even our perception of the picture can be wrong, so we need to settle back and re-examine our approach. In the same way, I can look at my life, specifically all the pieces that do not come together clearly, and be frustrated, angry, jealous, or I can recognize a purpose for it all. I can acknowledge that God has put every puzzle piece in that box, and He knows where each part fits. If I assemble my life according to His picture of my life (and purpose), it will perfectly fit. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11.

Whether we have the complete picture, this puzzle of our life, no matter how daunting or complex, is beautiful in God's eyes. Imagine that Lego box full of 4,000 pieces - some small, some big, and with many varied colors. When viewed like that, it seems like a jumbled mess of separate pieces that we can never put together, especially if we don't have a completed picture or instructions. But God doesn't see it like that. He sees every one of those pieces aligned perfectly, and when compiled, those thousands of separate pieces become a final fantastic design. We are created perfect in Christ! "So God created mankind in His image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them," Genesis 1:27.

The Holy Spirit guides each piece to fit together perfectly if we stop trying to jam them together!

Uncommen Questions:
Identify one or two pieces of the "puzzle" that don't seem to fit in your life or are causing frustration.
Are you attempting to fit them where you want them or letting the Holy Spirit do them?

Uncommen Challenge:
Take the two things you identified as frustrating and ask God to help you see them differently. Write them down. Are you trying to assemble your puzzle independently without God's completed picture meant just for you? Write your answer and how you plan on seeing the puzzle through His eyes instead of yours.