Life Puzzles, Part 1

I enjoy working picture puzzles. Seeing the picture on the box and putting the pieces together one at a time until the puzzle is complete makes for hours of fun. Our individual lives are like giant picture puzzles, with each one working to piece together the dark and light areas, the trees and the streams, and the other fascinating areas that build it into one beautiful scene.

I always follow the same basic method for piecing together a puzzle. Dump the pieces onto a table, make sure all are turned right-side up, work the frame first, and then start with the areas of color with the fewest number of pieces. I put off the areas of color that have lots of pieces to sort through, but eventually I have to work with these areas, even if it’s the last section of the puzzle. My method might be the method that most people follow, but it certainly isn’t the only method.

Sometimes, as we work the puzzle of our lives, we are forced to work on the dark areas of our lives sooner than we had hoped. When we find ourselves in that situation, it might help to remember that these areas of darkness add to the overall picture of our lives, and that the puzzle isn’t complete without them.