By Charles Rutter
Lockdown Life is a Puzzle ...
…a jigsaw puzzle. Our last one was 999 pieces; took ages. If you’re not a puzzler, give it a go. It can be frustrating but it’s creative and wonderfully therapeutic. You can get a spiritual buzz from God, too.
How so? The box gives you the big picture. Pour out the pieces all over the table. Can’t make head or tail of what it’s about?
Start sorting. Where to begin? With the straight edged pieces in order to build the picture frame. Then the colours and shades are separated; we use old plastic food trays. A section is chosen and pieces are tried and matched. Bits of the picture begin to take shape. We’re energised, but perplexed by the bits that don’t seem to make sense?
Finally, the home straight! Yet there’s always those odd pieces which we can’t make to fit anywhere. And of course, that 1000th piece is missing!
The bible shows us God’s big picture like a five act play.
Genesis 1-2: Creation.
Genesis 3 - 11: The Fall.
Genesis 12 - End of Old Testament: Abraham’s chosen line.
The Gospels: Life of Jesus.
Acts of the Apostles - Revelation: The Church.
We are living through that final act!
The frame for God’s big picture is - Jesus! When we begin with him, we can then gather the pieces of our life and experiences into their varied colours and shades. We begin to sense what life is all about and where we’re going?
As we try to slot each piece of happening and feelings into the whole, there are those bits which don’t seem to fit anywhere? And ah, those gaps left by seemingly missing pieces! Life is unfinished. But it’s a multicoloured, vary-hued landscape we fit together with Jesus.
God’s big picture is there to show us what life’s all about and where we’re going. Jesus enables us on a daily basis, to focus down to those individual pieces. This jigsaw turns the work of our minds and fingers into prayers of faith and hope.
Why not check out God’s big picture - Psalm 8? Reflect upon Jesus in his world and for your life - 1Corinthians 3.10-11. Remember that he is God of the gaps and he knows all about those missing pieces - Luke 15; Romans 8.25-7.
