During the colder months of
the year, I love to work on jigsaw puzzles. Some puzzles are much harder than
others—irregular pieces or, worse yet, uniform pieces that fit even if they
aren’t in the right place, can make it a challenge to complete.
I usually do 500–750-piece
puzzles because they fit my table. That’s a pile of pieces to place in just the
right spot. I find it easier to tackle when I split the big pile into smaller piles.
My table is tiled, which creates perfect boxes to separate the pieces into
groups.
Dividing up the pieces makes
it much more manageable than trying to work with all 750 pieces at once. When the
last piece finally fits in and the picture is complete, it is a good feeling.
Problems in life can come at
us like jigsaw puzzles. Some are easier—like 25-piece puzzles or 100-piece
puzzles. On the other hand, some are like 1000-piece or 2000-piece puzzles!
Where do you even start?
In Matthew 6:11 Jesus tells
us to ask God for our daily provision. Then in Matthew 6:34, He says, “Do
not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no
need to add to the troubles each day brings.”
Paul, in Philippians 4:6 encourages
us: “Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you
need, always asking him with a thankful heart.”
It sounds to me like God
recommends looking at the challenges in our lives like I tackle a jigsaw puzzle—separating
the different aspects of our troubles into little groups, working on whatever
task is required of us each day, letting God take care of the “big picture”.
While we may not be able to
see the end result at the moment (the old “can’t see the forest for the trees”
adage), God will help us to gradually make progress in resolving our difficulty.
Be encouraged!
©2023 Pamela D. Williams.
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