Life Is Like A Jigsaw Puzzle

I am currently in the midst of living out a six month severance package, which I am considering a sabbatical. During this time of rest and refocusing, I have taken up the hobby of doing jigsaw puzzles. It is so much more than a time killer. It is truly a spiritual discipline, teaching me the importance of patience and perseverance through difficulty and frustration. But more than that, I am gaining insights into how the Holy Spirit works in us to put together the puzzles of our human existence. 

The first step in a jigsaw puzzle is to complete the border. That is typically a simple task, taking no more than 30 minutes or so. The second step is much more difficult. It is to begin filling in the middle of the puzzle. Usually, I have several choices of where to begin the long, arduous process: A red barn, a bit of blue sky, a patch of green trees. Which will help me move along toward the goal the most efficiently? It is not always an easy decision, and it requires a leap of faith to simply pick a feature and begin working on it.

Once the first feature is completed, another must be chosen. This is even more difficult, and is where the spiritual lesson comes in. I have learned that is most efficient to pick two or three features to work on at a time once the puzzle is somewhat filled in. This gives me more options and more random matches as I sort through the hundreds of pieces.

In other words, it pays to focus at the same time I keep my options open, and to be flexible enough to change my focus when need be. What a brilliant spiritual insight for life!

With apologies to Forrest Gump, life is indeed like a jigsaw puzzle - much more so than like a box of chocolates. It’s not about making random choices and being happy with whatever you get. It’s about finding those tricky balances of focus and freedom as you push forward and try to make sense of all the different pieces.

Or to put it in other words: Intentional, but also adaptable. Deliberate, but also bold. Unrushed, but also not dawdling and wasting time.

Even when I’m on my “sabbataical,” I have limited time to spend on my own hobbies, and I do feel pressure to hurry up and get something accomplished as I patiently negotiate the long process. 

It really is a lot like life. In all the puzzles you face, may you find all the right balances and eventually find joy in a beautiful finished product!