First Baptist Church of Herndon

Feeling Puzzled?

Linda Soller | Jan 25, 2016

In our breakroom at work is a sign which reads, “Feeling puzzled?”, and on the table above it is a jigsaw puzzle for our employees to work on when they are taking breaks. It was such a hit on one floor we added a second puzzling place on the other floor. It wasn’t even an original idea. I stole it from one of our branch locations. Hey! a good idea is a good idea! It has proven to be fun, challenging, relaxing, all rolled up in one simple activity. We have had puzzles with lots of colors, and others more monochromatic. They can’t be more than 550 pieces because if they are larger we run out of space.

Often our lives feel like puzzles, just waiting for us to find the right piece. Instead of a box with a picture of what it should look like, we have a vision in our mind of what we want our life to look like. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle we don’t always get to pick and choose which piece we add or when we add it. At work we’ve found the puzzle is a distraction, however fleeting, from our routine. Our life puzzle is, more often than not, our focus. The size of our life puzzles will vary as we fill them in.

What if we could see our life puzzle a bit more like a jigsaw puzzle? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be pleasantly surprised when something happens, seemingly random at the time, until we notice the connections it makes? Like a jigsaw most of us start with the foundation. We find the edges of our possibilities and the corner pieces that connect us to others. Gradually we fill in from those edges to build something solid. Sometimes, pow! we find that odd piece we never thought we would see, and other times we search and search to find the piece which has been right in front of us all the time. The life puzzle can become discouraging, but it can also be fun. The hard to find piece once in place, and connected, no longer has to rule your thoughts. It turns out to be just another piece of your puzzle.

Faith may not put all the pieces in place just the way you want, or in the order you want. I think faith helps us appreciate the good and the bad pieces as parts of something much bigger and more important. I think faith helps you focus, and find connections. I know faith helps when you are feeling puzzled.

Have a great week!  :o)  Linda