I am enjoying the early days of my retirement, filling the hours with all sorts of activities and projects—things I never quite had time for.  One of those activities is putting jigsaw puzzles together.  I’ve completed a number of them already.

As I labor over my latest puzzle, I find myself thinking how a box of puzzle pieces in many ways resembles the life human beings live.

The box of pieces was produced by a creator and includes everything needed to finish their design.  The box usually includes a picture of the finished work, providing a blueprint or guide to help the assembler complete it.  My success, and enjoyment, comes from consulting the image on the box.  If this puzzle represented my life, then the creator would be the one who created me.  My belief in God, and the value he places on his creation, compels me to consult with him often regarding his picture of me.

The edge pieces mark the boundary of the puzzle.  Like people, puzzles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but they always have a border.  Everything about the puzzle is contained within this boundary.  I find it interesting that since childhood I have continually tested the boundaries of my life.  It’s the boundary or edge pieces that give the puzzle definition and orientation.  Looking for and assembling the edge pieces is usually the first thing that gets accomplished.

Staring at a box of 1000 puzzle pieces can be intimidating, but I take heart in knowing everything I need to finish is included in the box.  I am thankful its creator didn’t include pieces that don’t belong which would significantly frustrate my endeavor.  I know that each piece is unique and a vital part of the completed work.  Progress is made by sorting the pieces by subject or color and consulting the image printed on the box.  In life aren’t we drawn to certain people or interests, which in turn help shape who we are as a person?

As I’m nearing its completion, placing the remaining pieces becomes an increasingly easier task.  It is fun breathing life into the image.  So, too, beauty and meaning can be found in the later stages of life.  When the puzzle is finished, the individual pieces are usurped by a cohesive, beautiful image.  The creator’s work has been successfully rendered, giving order to a thousand random pieces.

I usually let the completed puzzle sit on the table for a few days, giving me time to take in the beauty of the image.  However, the day eventually comes when I break the puzzle into pieces and store it in its box until it’s once again resurrected.  I couldn’t help but be reminded that a similar end awaits every person.  In life, resurrection comes in the form of a belief in a Savior, and Creator, who has promised the restoration of our beautiful image.

Jesus told her [Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” Found in the gospel of John 11:25 NLT