Puzzle Pieces

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34 ESV). Several years ago I enjoyed the slow pace of jigsaw puzzles as a hobby. In fact, I found that I could think best while passing the time working on them. Our dinning room table was a favorite place for me to spread out all the pieces and begin. Some nights I might only put one or two pieces in the puzzle, while others might see the completion of an entire section. I enjoyed the landscapes more than any of the other subjects. It would always begin the same. Dump out all the pieces and turn them right side up. Of course, you needed to separate the pieces with the straight edge. Those would make the border and it needed to be completed first. Then I would prop up the puzzle lid so that I could see the finished picture using it as my guide. Sometimes the puzzle became a community project. After a while the puzzle pieces would be scattered everywhere on the tabletop. It always gave me a sense of accomplishment to see the last piece go into place. I have wondered what if there had been no cover picture to guide us and help put the pieces together? It would have been much more challenging, just like our lives! We don’t have a lid to look at, with a finished photo, for the puzzles of our lives. God, however, knows exactly and precisely what the picture looks like. I recall a time when one of the boys was young and he would pick up a piece, and determinedly say, “This fits!” as he forced the cardboard into the space. We sometimes try the same tactic with our lives, trying to squeeze something into our life that is not supposed to be there, not designed for that particular time and place. One day at a time, as we turn our lives over to Him, the Lord gives us a piece for the day. “It’s a puzzlement!”... the King of Siam, to Anna, in the musical, "The King and I." Yes, well, not to God. Regardless of how difficult your life may be, no matter how many pieces you may have bent and tried to force into place, the good news is that there is hope for a beautiful picture! Jesus’ words to us in our reading today talk about the freedom from anxiety we can have as we trust in God for each day of our lives. You don’t need tomorrow’s puzzle piece, just today’s. Trust Him to show you the next step in your life.