When life is like a jigsaw.
Recently, Rachel and I have been doing jigsaws as a hobby. It’s been therapeutic at times especially when we get on a roll and manage to put together pieces. But lately it’s been hard going because the jigsaw has only three colours, green, blue and grey. Under the lights, the colours begin to look the same. Further, looking at individual pieces can make me go a bit crazy especially when I’m convinced that the piece needs to go into a specific section (when it clearly doesn’t go there).
Playing around with the jigsaw on my day off got me thinking about how the jigsaw is a bit like our life before God. Sometimes, we are presented with an event that makes no sense in our worldview. “Why are we suffering, O LORD?” is possibly a question that we ask ourselves. When we look up close, the event makes no sense. It cannot make any sense. But then if we were to look at the piece in the context of the bigger picture, it creates a beautiful image. I think that our life is a bit like that, when we try to understand every single part of our lives, we’ll fail miserably. But when we consider that the LORD is using all things for my good and his glory, it can cause me to trust in Him more.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God is using every jigsaw piece for my good even when I can’t see the forest amongst the trees. But what for? The next verse answers that.
Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
We need to remember these words especially in times of ease. Because when the times of suffering come, then the words will flow out from our hearts.