the puzzle of it all..

Iam not perfect, I am still a work in progress. I fail daily, and at times I feel like I have nothing to bring to the table. I am like a puzzle that God is putting together. Some of my pieces are kind of ripped, some are out of sorts, and the corners need fixed in order to come together. The amazing thing is that God can put all the pieces together and make them fit perfect with His grace and wonder. We all have those puzzles we haven't thrown away yet, that have some of the pieces missing. God never throws the puzzle away, He finds the pieces and He knows exactly how it is to be put together. At times its hard for us to see how it all fits, but He has a clear view of it all. For me, I am the one who puts all the pieces together on the outside first, then I begin with the inside, trying to see what fits where. God is the opposite. He begins on the inside and works His way outward, placing that last piece in when we are heaven bound, for that is the place where we will be perfect in His presence. Once you begin to place the puzzle together, it doesn't look like much. Its hard to see it all coming together, but each piece adds another and makes the color pop, and brings the little things into view, making the puzzle seem to have a life of its own, as each piece comes together we can see where the next one will go. During winter nights my son and I love to do puzzles. I have an antique table that we can pull out the wings and place the puzzle on top, seperating the pieces, placing them and trying to place them where they are just not meant to go, even though to us we think its the right place. God knows just where each piece of the puzzle goes, and when it should be placed there. There is always another piece to be added and the more added the more beautiful it becomes. It takes a long time to do puzzles, you have to stand back at times, clear your eyes and your mind and get a good view of the pieces. Just as in life God knows each piece of our story, and how it all fits together. There are some pieces that are torn and we may think that they don't need to be added, but does. For each piece torn and worn brings more beauty and adds so much more to the story. Every story if worth being told, every piece makes us who we are, and for what we may think is a loss, God can use for His glory. Sometimes the pieces fit together well and others you have to work a little harder at. For God wants to use every part, for each one tells a special story and has a special gift and He can show us just where they fit in our storybook of life, and how they are leading us closer to Him. The beauty is in each simple small piece, that adds to the next, and as the puzzle seems to take shape God blows us away with all He has done without our knowledge while we weren't looking. As your puzzle is coming together, don't throw out the pieces that are old and tattered, those are the ones that seem to tell the best story of grace, and when our puzzle is all placed together we will see a picture of Christ weaved together throughout our lives...