I do just one jigsaw a year, which I start between between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Actually it usually takes me weeks to complete. I consider them a time-waster, not a waste of time. I know they stimulate the brain but I don’t have much spare time to do them because I’m doing other things to stimulate my brain. This year my jigsaw is a picture of my local city and it is taking longer than expected. In some ways jigsaws are like life and in many ways they are not. Jigsaws are made up of hundreds of pieces, like life. In a puzzle, all the pieces eventually dove-tail together perfectly. This doesn’t apply to life. No wonder Messy Church is so popular. It reflects actual life.
A missing piece in a puzzle can destroy the final picture; in God’s jigsaw of life will we be the missing piece and spoil the picture? This used to worry me as a young person. Would my reluctance to give my life to Christ, spoil His big picture. I now know that the Christian world will continue without me, but God loves me in particular as He does everyone and wants me. Would I be the weakest chain in the link? Would it snap with my link? Part of growing in the spiritual life is understanding our place. It brings peace, joy and contentment.
To see the jigsaw picture at it’s best, one needs to stand back. By standing back we can see our Christian life better. To see our lives from the aspect of heaven we will see the perfect picture. God has it all in hand. Why did we worry so when God has it planned out. Until I see the perfect picture I am content with all that God does reveal to me.