We have very little hobbies in common. Actually, none really. Trey likes sports. I like to watch him play sports, but I don't like to watch sports. I could spend all day in a fabric store looking at gorgeous fabrics and Trey just sees another floral print. We're different. But that helps us to compliment each other. Since we've been spending so much time together, we wanted to find something we both enjoy doing. We found out we like puzzles. It's something we can work on together and we're competitive with each other in putting it together. We hit the jackpot here by finding a 750 piece puzzle for $4.99 of the Vancouver Skyline at night.
We dumped it out and began to piece it together. Puzzles are one of those things that can sit and you can work on it as you have time. One day I was working on it, home by myself, and I began to think about my life in comparison to this puzzle. How everything I have been through is like a little tiny puzzle piece in my whole life. I started as a pile of mess. Pieces that were turned over, needing sifting and sorting. God did just that and continues to do that... just like when you put a puzzle together. It doesn't happen over night that all of our pieces are together.
The easiest part of the puzzle is to find the outer edges and piece them together. This becomes your framework. God starts with a framework, a foundation. Through salvation we find that foundation. And everything hinges on that foundation. Our life goes from a pile of mess to a puzzle being sorted out daily. We can't see the end picture of our life, but we know that the Father is perfecting us, just like we do a puzzle.
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
As you continue to put together a puzzle, it starts to make sense. Pieces on the outside fit together. You're not sure exactly where they'll fit into the puzzle, but you know they go together. You begin to sort out pieces by similar colors and lines and shapes. I think this is a lot like our experiences. We go through things in our lives and some are easy, some are difficult, and some are extremely hard, but because of Christ we know God is working these things together for us. There are parts of life that seem difficult while we're in them, but looking back now I know they were easy in my spiritual walk. Things like understanding what it means to spend time daily in His word, or surrendering your future to Him once you graduate from high school. In light of all that I've been through in my 24 years on this earth, these were easy moments. God carries us through those moments and shows Himself faithful.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Then we get to the difficult part of the puzzle. Where the pieces aren't so easy. They all look alike. You have no idea where they are going to go. Some of them are the pieces you've already fit together, just waiting for their specific spot. This is like those really difficult moments in life. So often the only thing we have to cling to is Jesus. And part of that is remembering those seemingly easy experiences and God reminding us how He carried us through. When I was a sophomore in high school, my only living grandparent, my Papa, had a stroke. I was so upset. He lived through it, but it wasn't easy on me. God brought verses and comfort in my life that carried me through that time.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4
Most recently my life has been a whirlwind of chaotic puzzle pieces. Sometimes I feel that there were pieces that seemed to be in place only to find out they were in the wrong place. God plucked them out and placed them where they fit exactly. When my mom passed away, there were moments when the only thing left in my "puzzle" was that foundation in Christ, those outer edges. God has been working in me these last 8 months (hard to believe it's been 8 months). I know I'm not that perfect puzzle yet. I know I still have a long way to go. But I am so thankful that I know the One who puts all of my pieces together. I'm thankful that each of those pieces of my life has a purpose.
Even tough we're not finished here on earth, our puzzle is! And it was a joyous celebration when it was done. We plan to frame it, hang it up here, and leave it for whoever comes behind us.
I pray for you as God fits together your puzzle pieces. And if you're reading this and you don't yet have that foundation, please ask me about it or seek out someone who does. There's no greater hope and peace and purpose than in Christ.
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled or let it be fearful." John 14:27
1.5 hours of filling out & organizing + 10 copies of 5 different documents + 5 copies of visa applications + 5 notarized copies of college degrees + 5 passport photos + 2 online payments + 2 headaches + 1 frantic call to our visa service + 1 hour in UPS making copies + 1 tape gun cut on my thumb = visa paperwork sent off!
The stack of paperwork was about 1.5"-2" thick. So much paperwork, lots of time, & one sore thumb. We hear it should take 2-4 weeks once our papers get to them. We send everything to a visa service to have them make sure we sent everything correctly. They'll organize it appropriately and send it to the embassy. Pray for our sanity :) And that we did everything correctly so we can get them back quickly.
