Sometimes I think God’s will is like a puzzle that needs to be completed. Find all the right pieces, put them in the right order, and voila!: A completed picture of His plan and purpose for my life.
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Our family enjoys a good jigsaw puzzle. When my husband and I went on our honeymoon 9 years ago, we began collecting jigsaw puzzles as souvenirs. We’d pick them up at the places we visited as a way to foster togetherness and memories long after the trip was over.
It’s a tradition we’ve continued with the kids over the years. Most recently we collected some from Philadelphia, Williamsburg and the Chesapeake Bay, giving us numerous choices for family nights.
In reality, putting a puzzle together as a family is not as charming as it sounds. We all approach the puzzle with different styles and varying attention spans. What typically happens is the children help with the sorting of the outside edges and the inside pieces, and with the assembly of the frame. Then, their interest wanes, and before we know it, it’s bedtime. Over the next several days, I’ll sit down at the table where the puzzle is and put a few pieces in while I drink my coffee or finish my lunch. Maybe we’ll give it a second “go” as a family before we finish it, leave it on display for a day or so and then put it away.
The last couple of puzzles we’ve done have been tricky. Some similarly shaped pieces have seemed to fit in multiple places, and only when we place more pieces in the puzzle do we discover the error and have to move them.
The pieces seemed to fit, but the picture didn’t look quite right.
To read the rest of this post, visit Putting on the New, where I blog on the 12th of each month.