by Anne Hansen
I really enjoy doing a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces are emptied onto a folding table and then comes the sorting – putting colours together, finding the edge pieces and starting to put the outside border in place to then work towards the middle.
It takes effort, concentration, good lighting and a lot of time to finish a puzzle. Recently I did one with my mother. There were so many sky pieces that looked the same and that also seemed to match the water pieces. We had to look at them so carefully and make sure they were put in the right spot. I found a couple of pieces that were incorrect and that made finishing the puzzle impossible. Every piece had its own place from which to be a part of making up a beautiful picture.
SPIRITUAL LIFE CAN BE A PUZZLE TOO
With our spiritual life and that of our family, we tend to get the border happening – baptism, first communion and confirmation – but what about the middle? We may have trouble getting all the pieces in the right places, especially when other things distract us and take away our concentration.
I have even been tempted to give up on some puzzles, just like we may give up on feeding our spiritual life – reading the Bible daily, praying for others, worshipping with a fellowship of believers and serving others inside and outside of the church. Working as God wants them to, all these things together make a beautiful person complete and whole.
It’s not easy. In fact, it is easier to give up, but God encourages us to put in one piece at a time and gently guides us when something doesn’t quite fit.
Our lives are created as a puzzle and it takes a lifetime to complete, but we have to start somewhere.
RESOURCES TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH
Lutheran Tract Mission has many resources to grow your life and the lives of your family members and friends. Have a look at our website at www.ltm.org.au and choose ‘Find Resources’, then click on ‘Christian Growth’. You will find about 200 different tracts under this category to encourage you.
Grow your spiritual life one day at a time and encourage your friends to do the same. When you choose a tract to help you, grab another for a family member or friend. Time with God will grow your life into a beautiful picture – one piece at a time!
Anne Hansen is Lutheran Tract Mission Development Officer.
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