Puzzling Life

So many people are trying to figure out life. Life is a mystery. The more we learn about life the more we become puzzled. We all plan things. All of us make plans. Many plans turn out not the way we would like.



I know my life did't turn out the way I planned. I would never thought that I would be where I am today. I think that my teenage version might be quite startled and disappointed. You see when I was sixteen I thought that by the time I will be in my mi-late twenties I would have a great career, be married or engaged, possibly having a child.
So, here I am, finishing my education--I am doing my internship, which is the last part of the program--at the age of twenty-six living in an apartment with a cat. I have a job that supports me, but it's not where my heart is. I am learning how to drive a car so I can get my drivers license. Yes, I have to juggle my 2 jobs, driving lessons, church, Bible Study, prayer breakfast, and blogging. I don't mind having too many things that I have have to take care of at the same time. Unknown future bothers me the most. I know that God holds my future. Sometimes it looks like I am wasting my time doing all those things. Comparison is a thief of joy. Fear paralyzes us.It makes us defiant. When we are afraid of something it controls our lives--the more we afraid, the more control it has.

Puzzle

I see life somewhat similar to jigsaw puzzle. We have to put pieces together. A single piece doesn't make sense. We cannot see the whole picture, but we can deduce after most of it completed. Incomplete puzzle lacks details. 

Sometimes pieces from different puzzles get mixed together. It becomes hard to put the right pieces together. We bring things that should be separate together. We overlap areas of our lives that should be separated. 

We are often aware that certain things should stay separate, but what if I can use new approach--help of modern times--and try to solve a problem. 

My life has many pieces that need to find their place, but some pieces already have the place. 

In most cases mixed puzzle pieces come from incomplete puzzles  Often we try to compensate emptiness in one area by bringing another imperfect/area. Pieces from different puzzles don't fit together.
Each piece is designed to fit a certain puzzle spot. Sometimes a piece from a different puzzle can fit in. You can tell that the piece doesn't belong there because the picture doesn't match. Just like in our lives, some things seem to belong there, but upon closer examination we see that they don't.
Certain pieces belong to edges. They have at least one smooth side.  You cannot connect any pieces to that side. So many times I tried to put edge pieces into center of the puzzle--focus on the things of least matters. Some things only touch one side of our live. Some people we only see at work or school; and yet we want to know all about their lives. Gossiping is a sin; you don't to have a malice in your heart. While focusing on peripheral parts we missing essentials. Puzzle with missing edge pieces is still able to convey the image--with some missing details.
Sometimes you have to push pieces in--they just don't fit easily. It's very easy to conclude that the pieces don't belong to the puzzle. Just because the situation is difficult doesn't mean it can't be resolved. Some necessary pieces have to be pushed hard, but the shape of their edges compliments the place where they need to be placed.
Pieces spill out of the box--all mixed up. When we face the situation that seems like everything fall on at once, we have to prioritize tasks. Sometimes things of lesser importance have to be pushed aside or even sacrificed. Most people start puzzle with edge pieces. I usually start with center. Thins that are not in the center re usually the easiest to get resolved. They only affect one or two areas of our lives. Meanwhile we missing out the important matter by focusing on everything that is not important.
We use picture on the box as reference point. We know how things should look. Unfortunately life situations do not come in a box with picture. We have something better though-- the Bible. While we cannot see the picture on the box, we know that everything works out together for good in those who love the Lord.

Puzzling Faith

Christianity is mesmerizing. God reached out to us when we didn't want to do anything with Him. He didn't just leave us Scriptures--He died for us and three days had risen from the grave. Christianity guarantees us heaven. We are saved by faith.
Suffering--time to rejoice, because it produces perseverance. You see suffering proofs the reality of our faith. Jesus suffered. We celebrate His death and Resurrection. Without the Resurrection, His death would be in vain.
So many firs century Christians were willing to suffer for their faith in Jesus. Their deaths were louder testimony than their lives.
Persecution doesn't stop Christianity. It fuels up the faith. It may go underground, but it will continue to grow.