Puzzle Pieces

In the nearly 20 years I had known my friend she had spent at least half of that searching and hoping for someone to share her life with.  As is normal for this situation, she dated many losers.  I had lost track of her around 10 years ago.  One day I saw, what I thought was her, on facebook.  It was her and we “talked” a bit over several weeks.  I was able to see, through her social media account, that she had grandchildren and had gotten married and, by all appearances, was being spoiled as she deserved.

Then one day I saw something that shocked me to my core.  Her doting husband had suddenly, without warning, passed away.  My heart was heavy.  I began to pray for her, and ask God, not only to comfort her, but to help both of us to understand why, after all that searching, did this happen?

As I asked the Lord for understanding, He began to show me part of how His plan works.  I know God sees our whole life, not as a Polaroid snapshot, but as a panoramic picture; He can see it all at once.  He can view it as one, continuous, unbroken scene, or He can look at the end or beginning specifically.  He can, as if working a puzzle, piece our lives together, working here and there as the picture takes shape.

When we work a puzzle, we don’t begin at one side and go exclusively to the other; we work the frame, then groups of pieces as they become clear to us where they fit, until, at last, the final result – the picture revealed as a whole – comes into view.  God alone knows where each piece fits in the puzzle of our lives.  We must trust Him, because He works all things together for good and believe that, no matter what comes, He is able to make all the pieces fit, each in their perfect place in the puzzle of our lives.