I recently heard a sermon by Pastor Troy Johnson about “Joseph’s puzzled life,” in which he used an analogy of a puzzle that you put together to make a whole picture. The title of the sermon piqued my interest, as it piggybacked off a friend’s recent statement that finding love was like finding the “missing piece” in her life. Was this a coincidence? I see these similarities as a tap on the shoulder to pay closer attention to a deeper meaning. Usually if something keeps presenting itself in your life it represents something that needs to be addressed. There is a lesson available. Maybe it’s as simple as being a vessel to share the message, or perhaps it is one that is meant to help us personally learn and grow.
“Like the puzzle, life is not about the final image, but about the putting it together, the living it.”
— Unknown
There were several points in this sermon that resonated with me. As with any puzzle, you have to work with one piece at a time. Each piece is like a season, scene or experience of our lives. Sometimes you may have to put a piece down and try another. You might feel like one fits perfectly in your life, only to discover that it wasn’t the right fit. That step, however, leads you to the next piece that is part of the whole picture, or puzzle, that is your unique life. You may try holding a couple pieces at a time, but you can only actually place one piece at a time.
Be patient. Just like a puzzle, it takes time for all the pieces of your life to come together.
Patience is necessary when creating a puzzle. You are enjoying the process of concentration and watching the bigger picture come into view. It can get frustrating though, when you can’t seem to make a piece fit anywhere. You must keep going anyway. Keep working the puzzle, step by step, piece by piece.
The beauty is knowing that the puzzle (your life) is already whole. The picture has been created and cut perfectly just for you. It isn’t made with flaws or a single piece that doesn’t fit or belong. Sometimes you won’t understand what one piece means or why it’s there, but as you keep going, as you continue to put in the work, it will eventually be revealed. All the struggles, joys, frustrations and diligence will make more sense, keeping in mind that your life and the pieces of it do fit. They were designed with intention and purpose. Your job is to just keep at it. One step at a time. See each part of your life for what it is, a season or scene. You cannot get to the next piece without placing the current piece where it belongs.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find all the pieces to the puzzle, but when you finally connect all the pieces, you realize the reason you worked so hard to find their place as part of the big picture.” — Victoria Orsinger
Each piece or experience gets you to the next piece, or scene, of your life. Great, good, bad or indifferent, each moment is a stepping stone toward the whole vision. You may not love it or understand it, but it belongs in your life. It is your job to recognize its value, place it where it belongs, and then move on to the next piece. Appreciate each piece. Feel gratitude for all the parts, knowing that you and your life were created intentionally with a purpose already granted.
When you are holding just one puzzle piece in your hand, can you see the entire picture? Do you know what the completed puzzle looks like just by looking at the one piece? This is not a trick question. The answer is “No!” All you can see is the one piece. You know it belongs to the whole puzzle because you are experiencing it, you are holding it in this moment. You are working it, analyzing it and trying to see where it fits in order to see more of the big picture. Even if you can’t see the whole picture, you get there by working the piece/place you are in.
“Life is a puzzle and we are all unique pieces.” — Steve Maraboli
In time you may come to see that the puzzle was actually piecing you together! I don’t believe we make mistakes, I believe we uncover revelations. If a choice turns out to be not so great, or downright awful, it reveals what we could have done differently. It is a vital piece in moving us forward to revealing the beautiful, whole picture that represents all of our steps, discoveries and uniqueness.
The next time you get frustrated with the piece of life that you are holding, and you can’t seem to make it fit or work, pause and remember that it does fit somewhere and will move you to the next piece/place. Your perfectly pieced and puzzled life is part of the bigger picture, and always has been. Focus on the piece in your hand and enjoy knowing that, as author Katrina Mayer says, “you hold a very important piece of the puzzle. Without it the world is incomplete. That’s how precious you are.”
“Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.” — Tony Evans
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Photo, top, courtesy of Ann H / Pexels
