Life is a Blue Sky Puzzle

Have you ever been working on a puzzle - one of those thousand piece puzzles where half the puzzle is of a blue sky? I remember Dad working on a puzzle for days - maybe weeks. It ended up being a family affair. Whoever was passing through the kitchen would get sucked into the puzzle work at the table. I remember sliding off the completed portions of the puzzle onto cardboard so other life stuff could happen around the table - like meals or whatever. Then, back to the puzzle!

Our life IS that thousand piece blue sky puzzle. Our goals and dreams, God's will and oversight just scattered over the span of our life. A mess, but we know the Big Picture. (You know, the one on the front of the box.) We fix our gaze on that whole - but know the work is slow and searching. At times the pieces have come together with ease. An answered prayer, a glimpse of vision, the birth of a baby...then another and another. Other times we've wondered if the Manufacturer put the right pieces in our box. "WHATTHEHECK! - how many blue pieces are there, really???" Fifteen moves, bouncing state to state, job changes, pinching pennies - argh! Life has happened and until recently it didn't appear to match the Big Picture. We are learning that God brings chaos to order completely in His timing and with our searching.

There are wonderful seasons when the chaos gives way to a completed segment - not just blue sky but now trees! Then, life demands attention and the pieces that have been fit together are set aside - but not forgotten. We pay bills, go to work, change way too many diapers in one day, and pay more bills. Then, as quickly as the pieces were put out of sight they return to the table and construction begins again. We connect with an old friend, see a project completed with success, and buy a home of our own. People come and go helping in the search - making sense of the endless blue pieces. Giving a word of wisdom, or offering some much need encouragement. We also search alone. Seeking God in the prayer closet and waiting....and waiting. And, so the process continues. Searching, pausing for life, and returning to the puzzle - looking to the Big Picture.

Now, I know why puzzles are enjoyable. They are a challenge but totally doable. I am glad we opted for the big, fat box with the picture of the endless vistas rather than the kiddy puzzle of the orange kitten. Crystal blue skies with puffy, white clouds over snow capped mountain peeks all in the distance behind a deep forest with wildflowers of every color. Yeah, the finished landscape sure beats kitty. But we still have a few sky pieces left...

As for Dad's puzzle. I honestly don't remember if the thing was ever completed. I have a strong feeling that Mom still has that puzzle "somewhere" in her home. Maybe we could pull it out next time we are in town. Oooooor, maybe not...