Memories of winter evenings as a young girl, bring to mind Grandma and her puzzle in the lighted kitchen while the dark of the evening enfolded the rest of the world. The warmth of the wood stove and the love of my grandparents drew me to their home on those long winter evenings.
I would watch as Grandma would sit with the puzzle. Studying a piece and then looking at the finished picture. Then to my amazement she would take that piece and place it in the correct place. On the other hand, I looked at the puzzle and tried piece after piece, to no avail. To me, it looked hopeless. It just didn’t seem to match up. However, when a puzzle piece would fit into place by my little hand, more by accident then by knowledge, it was a time of celebration within my young heart.
Invariably, throughout the long winter evenings, as an adult, I would choose a puzzle and dump the pieces on the card table. My kids and I would try our hand at piecing together the puzzle. Some years the puzzle was finished and other years it was placed back in the box, with no more than a few pieces fitted together.
Puzzles AND perspective
This year was no exception. The puzzle was chosen and the pieces placed on the card table. The myraid of different pieces were overwhelming in color and shape. They melded together into a formless disarray. The memory of the way Grandma began a puzzle came back to me and so I began the process. I sorted by side pieces, by color, by shape and then left it lie. Another day I was back to begin forming the frame of the puzzle.
Looking at the puzzle as a whole without a way to begin, can be overwhelming. Our perspective is skewed. Yet, when you stop and follow the process it begins to take shape.
Similarly, looking at life as a whole can be overwhelming. The different perplexities of life look hopeless and the pieces just never seem to match up correctly. When our perspective in life has been skewed by our worldview, our circumstances and even our past, we have difficulty putting the correct pieces of life where they belong.
I have gleaned knowledge from my memories of those times spent at the puzzle table with Grandma. She sat with the author, so to speak, as she studied the picture on top of the box. Grandma noticed the small differences in shape and the variations of color in each piece. The nuances and shades of various items did not go unnoticed.
Consequently, her perspective became like that of the author and she was able to place the pieces in the proper place without much trouble. When she was puzzled, Grandma would go back to studying the picture. She knew that to change her perspective was the best way to get it right.
Life’s Puzzle Pieces
Likewise, in life, when we are perplexed about life’s situations we need to sit with the Author of life. Our vision is incomplete. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:11, we see through a glass darkly. Our perception can be partial when we look through the paradigms that have been formed throughout our lives. It is when we seek God’s perspective in our situations that we can gain the perception we need to fit the puzzling pieces of our lives into the plan He has for us.
The more time we spend with the Author of our life, the more we become like Him. In other words, our perspective of life from God’s point of view will become our focus. Paul expounds further in 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 on our vision and perception. The smudge of our blurred vision can be cleared. It happens when we come to Christ. His Spirit opens up our heart to see as God sees. Consequently, we are changed into His image. Our minds can be renewed as we behold Him continually and order our thoughts as He directs.
Proper Perception is Key
I have learned to sit with the puzzle, as my Grandma did. The more I study the depiction of what it is to be, the more easily I am able to place the pieces in their proper setting. Proper perception is key, especially when one small piece has a portion of three or four varied subjects. The more time I spend with the ‘finished product’ the better my perspective is of the myriads of pieces laid out before me.
If you are puzzling over the perplexities of life, sit with the puzzle. Study the depiction of life from God’s point of view. The more time you spend with your Heavenly Father, the better your perspective will be when facing the various pieces of life. Your perception will clear as you seek God’s directives. Choosing to see from God’s perspective makes all the difference.
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