“In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”                                                                                                                                                    Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

Sitting for hours staring down at hundreds of pieces – colorful cardboard – I start by sorting. I move all of the pieces with flat edges to one pile and begin to divide the rest by dominant colors. Then, I start the process of putting it all together. 

First, the border. All four corners, all sides – done. 

Next, I begin to fill in the interior. Later – days or weeks depending on the amount of free time I have – VOILA! A picture emerges. 

I love puzzles. I have always loved puzzles. I love starting with nothing and ending with a complete picture. I love figuring out where each piece fits and seeing it all come together. 

Many times the pieces fit together perfectly – they come together quickly. Other times, I have to try several times to find the right fit. I think a piece fits perfectly and later I realize it is all wrong when I encounter a road block to putting other pieces in their places. 

When puzzles are complete, they are neat and pretty. A perfect match reveals the whole story. You barely recognize the lines of the individual pieces.

Wow – this sounds like my life! My parents gave me a great beginning by using guidance from God to establish my borders – to give me clear boundaries for my life. Then, it was up to me to put together the rest of the pieces. 

Even more like my life is the fact that sometimes pieces don’t quite fit or I try to force them to fit. Sometimes in life things just don’t line up, which makes for an uneasy feeling. But, when it all comes together it is the best feeling in the world. The feeling of peace, contentment, wholeness. The feeling of accomplishment. 

When I am confused working on a puzzle, I continually check the picture on the box for clues and guidance. Unfortunately, in life there isn’t a pre-painted picture of how our lives fit together. We must rely on guidance from God to find the right pieces and to put them in the right places. The One who knows our whole story. The One who knew us before we were formed in the womb. 

Commit your life to the Lord and He will help you put the pieces of your life together. In time, it will all come together – beautifully.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”               Proverbs 16:3