Pieces of a Puzzle

Bible Reading: JEREMIAH 29:11-13

Regan sat at the table, working on her half-finished jigsaw puzzle. Holding a small puzzle piece, she stared sadly into space. “You don’t look very happy,” observed Mom as she came by. “Something wrong?”

Regan sighed. “It’s just that I’m tired of moving! Sometimes I wish Dad wasn’t in the Army. We’ve moved so often in the last few years, and now we have to move again. It doesn’t seem fair.”

“I know, honey, but Dad and I feel the Army is the place God wants him to be,” said Mom. “We believe God knows what’s best for us, even when it includes moving a lot.”

“Well, I can’t see how leaving my friends could be best for me,” replied Regan. “I’m going to miss them so much!”

Mom took the puzzle piece from Regan and pushed it into its correct place. She pointed to the rest of the scrambled pieces lying on the table. “You know, this puzzle really doesn’t look very good.”

Regan frowned. “It’s a pretty picture! It’s just not finished yet.”

“Exactly!” said Mom. “When you start a puzzle, you can’t see the whole picture, and it may not look very pretty. But the pieces fit together, and little by little they begin to make a nice picture. That’s how God works through changes in our lives. At first, we may not see how they’ll fit. But when we remember that we’ve been saved and given eternal life through Jesus and that He promises to work everything out for our good, we can trust Him with the big picture.” Mom smiled. “Do you remember how you met Alessandra?”

“Sure,” said Regan. “The week we moved here, I fell while riding my bike and skinned my knee really bad.”

“Did you think that was a good thing?” asked Mom.

Regan shook her head. “It really hurt, but now I’m glad it happened. Otherwise, I might not have met Alessandra. She saw me and came to help, and now we’re best friends.”

Mom nodded. “God knew just how to put the right pieces together.”

Regan smiled. “And if He did it once, He can do it again. I wonder what the next piece of the puzzle will look like!” KAREN E. COGAN

How About You?

Are you worried and upset over changes in your life? Remember that you’re not seeing the whole picture. Like a puzzle, your life is made up of many pieces. God knows just where each one should go, and He knows when it’s time to put it in place. Remember how much He loves you, and trust Him to put the pieces together in the best possible way.

Today’s Key Verse:
ROMANS 8:28 WE KNOW THAT GOD MAKES ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND ARE CHOSEN TO BE A PART OF HIS PLAN. (NLV)

Today’s Key Thought:

God knows what’s best.