Puzzling Pieces

Read: Psalm 37:23-28

Weston shuffled through the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. “Wow, I’ve never tried to do a puzzle with so many pieces before!”

“I know it looks hard, but I’m sure you can do it,” said Mom. “Want some help? I could turn the pieces right side up for you.”

“Okay,” Weston said. “I’ll work on the barn.” He started to sift through the jumbled pile, looking for red pieces.

“Weston, do you know what this jigsaw puzzle reminds me of?” Mom asked as she turned pieces over.

“Uh, my room, I guess,” Weston said with a smile. “A big mess!”

Mom laughed. “It does look a lot like the clutter I sometimes see in there, but I had something else in mind—our lives. Sometimes life is puzzling to us. It’s confusing and filled with overwhelming problems, and we can’t see how the pieces can possibly fit together. But God has a plan and purpose for everything that happens. He knows all the pieces will fit perfectly, even when we can’t see how.”

“You mean like the time I didn’t make the Parkside soccer team?” Weston asked.

“Right,” Mom said. “Many of your friends made the team, and you were so disappointed. You didn’t see how that piece of your life fit at all. You even said you might as well give up playing soccer.”

“Yeah, but then Mr. Singh called,” Weston said. “He was coaching the Greenwood team and asked if I’d like to play the goalie position.”

Mom nodded. “So you joined that team, and you really liked it and had a great time.”

“Yeah,” Weston said. “It was so much fun!”

“I think God wanted you on Mr. Singh’s team so we could get to know his whole family,” Mom said. “They accepted our invitation to come to a program at church and heard about Jesus.” She glanced at the puzzle pieces Weston was working on. “Hey, that barn’s really coming together!” She handed him another red puzzle piece. “Just like you’re fitting those pieces together into a barn, God fits all the pieces of our lives together into something good that points to Jesus and His love for us.”

–Annette S. Bury

How about you? Are you going through something difficult or confusing right now? Does your life look like a jumbled mess that will never fit together? We often can’t see or understand how things that are sad or painful could possibly be good. Trust God. He has a purpose for all the things that happen in your life. He promises to fit them together into something good that shows you belong to Jesus.

Today's Key Verse: We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (CSB)

Today's Key Thought: God has a purpose for everything