The Jigsaw Puzzle
I like doing jigsaw puzzles. I have fond memories of visiting my family during a holiday break and fitting 1000 piece jigsaws together over the course of a week. We would frequently check the big picture on the box as our guide. Dark and light pieces all come together until it all made sense.
Our only concern was if a piece fell on the floor, we had to pick it up straight away before the dog chewed it. He liked puzzles too but for very different reasons!
But have you ever done a jigsaw when you don’t have all the pieces and you don’t know what the overall picture is going to be?
The start of the year is a bit like that.
Imagine the year is a great big jigsaw puzzle. It will be filled with all sorts of experiences. Some fun, some not so fun. Dark pieces/experiences could represent challenges like Covid and staying home to isolate… Or feelings that are hard to have like disappointment and frustration. Some families in our community have experienced this already. But there will be light coloured pieces/experiences too… New opportunities, new friends and relationships. Think back to the day before you met your best friend. On that day you had no idea how important he/she would become. We don’t exactly know what awaits us tomorrow. Right now, we can only imagine what might be…
It can feel a little overwhelming when don’t know all the details and can’t see the big picture. But we know someone who does! And he has promised to be with us as every piece is put into place.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20b And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end. (NIrV)
Another promise comes from Romans 8:38, 39. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)
With God’s love and promises as our foundation and Jesus as our Good Shepherd, we can approach this year with optimism and enthusiasm and yes, even excitement. Happy 2022 everyone!
God’s Peace, Love and Blessings,
Georgie
