I envision God writing out my story - my life - in his book that He keeps in heaven about me. It contains everything about me. My preferences, desires, talents, skills, aptitudes, DNA, experiences, heartaches, successes, trials, education, physical characteristics, personality quirks, weaknesses, strengths, motivations, geographic locations I’ll inhabit, family combinations I’ll be a part of, events I’ll observe or take part in, challenges I’ll encounter, jobs I’ll perform, travel I’ll do, observations I’ll make and conclusions I’ll come to. All of these things make up . . . Me. I’m truly unique. With all the myriad combinations of all these things, no other person is the same as me. I’m indisputably complex and intentional. From start to finish, my story is meaningful and purposeful. I’m incredibly . . . special.
Next, I envision God - my creator - turning my story into a 3-D puzzle.
But this 3-D puzzle has layers and dimensions that aren’t even visible on the outside. It would probably be more appropriate to say it’s an unlimited-D puzzle! This puzzle comprises all the elements of my life, wrapped up into one large, intricate, and sophisticated showpiece. The image is multifaceted, yet complete within itself. It tells a story. Each overlapping layer building on the next - revealing a beautiful, exhaustive work of art.
Every single day in our life can be a puzzle piece. Some puzzles have more pieces than others. All our puzzles are uniquely different and specifically designed.
Sometimes our days are not memorable - just like in a puzzle where all the pieces appear to look alike because maybe they’re part of a blue sky or ocean. They are similar yet essential because they are connecting important, colorful, detailed pieces. The subtleties in the pieces that appear to be the same are when God is silent, but still there.
My puzzle isn’t complete until all the pieces are in place. Some images aren’t clear until all the pieces for that particular part of the puzzle are found. Many times there are different places on the puzzle that are being worked on simultaneously. The separate images aren’t connected, but each play a part in the total picture. It’s sometimes confusing because the different images that are connecting don’t seem to even go together. One might wonder who could dream up such a convoluted depiction of a life . . . that’s supposed to have purpose. Shouldn’t it be more simple and straightforward if this puzzle has a continuous and thought-out theme to it?
What’s even more challenging is that we’re looking at all our puzzle pieces not even having the benefit of knowing the big picture - on the outside of the box that holds our puzzle pieces is a blank canvas!! Now don’t be misled - God sees the big picture even though it hasn’t been revealed to us yet.
Another interesting element to the puzzle is that it’s dynamic - meaning it changes constantly as circumstances change! Oh my goodness, could there be anything more interesting and exciting than an extremely complex puzzle - of an essential story - that’s always changing yet still staying true to it’s original intent?!?
Although all this seems confusing to me, it’s not to my creative Father. He gets delight in watching my puzzle pieces come together. He finds pleasure in seeing me search for my next piece that fits so perfectly within the whole. Many times He waits for me to call to him for help when I can’t find the right piece and he gently turns one over to reveal its face.
Oh that I could get the same satisfaction and joy that He has - reading my story in this multilayered picture form of my life. Can I dare allow myself to enjoy the intricacies of my life, knowing that they will somehow all fit together for my good? Do I dare step up to live out my puzzled life fully, knowing I can’t make a mistake because He’s already planned for it?
Although it’s natural to feel overwhelmed thinking about all the pieces that need to go together - I needn’t be, because He’s promised to put it together with me. He knows what my puzzle is going to look like and can’t wait for me to include him in the adventure of watching this one-of-a-kind masterpiece take shape!!
One solitary life - mine - told in a grand unimaginable picture just waiting to be figured out and revealed!
