Puzzles and Paintings
“Winners have the ability to step back from the canvas of their lives like an artist gaining perspective. They make their lives a work of art, an individual masterpiece.”~Denis Waitley~
Our lives are like a beautiful puzzle, without the picture on the box. Each puzzle is different and no two pieces are alike. It begins with the first piece birth, and ends with the last piece death. Everything in between are all the pieces that make up our life. It is only when the last piece fits, is the puzzle complete. With no picture to guide us, it is difficult to see how the puzzle will turn out. It is no wonder we do not understand how pain and suffering in our lives could possibly be of benefit to us.
There is no need to be discouraged, for the answer lies with the puzzle maker, God. Just as joy, peace and happiness are pieces of the whole puzzle, so is pain, suffering and sometimes even death. Each is an ingredient God uses to build faith, which results in praise and glory to God.
Not long ago I saw an unusual artist. He was not your average “run of the mill” painter. A separate easel consisted of several small cans of different colored paint was directly behind him. A stage was the backdrop, and a large audience seated was his critics. Painter’s tarps covered the stage floor, because of his enthusiastic painting style. The canvas, on which he used, was five foot square, and it spun 360 degrees.
Using both hands with various brush sizes, he attacked the canvas with the ferocity of a lion. He splashed dark yellow, bright red and brilliant blue paint upon the white canvas in a frenzied manner. With his hands, he moved the colors into an unrecognizable pattern, while his rhythmic movements kept beat with the background music. His long shoulder length hair flashed from side to side trying to keep up with his awkward movements. The stylish artist moved all over the canvas, keeping the crowd guessing, and occasionally turning his piece upside down to work his magic.
To the audience, the piece appeared to be confusing, and unrecognizable. To the creator his painting was going according to his plan. Slowly the picture began to take shape as he added more strokes to the canvas. Being the performer he was, he added the last distinctive brush strokes for the finale and flipped the painting around. There before our eyes, earlier a virgin canvas, now a magnificent completed work of art. The unsuspecting crowd rose from their seats and gave the artist a thunderous applause!
The moral: Let us not judge God before his painting is finished and the paint is dry!
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
March 5, 2014
Our lives are like a beautiful puzzle, without the picture on the box. Each puzzle is different and no two pieces are alike. It begins with the first piece birth, and ends with the last piece death. Everything in between are all the pieces that make up our life. It is only when the last piece fits, is the puzzle complete. With no picture to guide us, it is difficult to see how the puzzle will turn out. It is no wonder we do not understand how pain and suffering in our lives could possibly be of benefit to us.
There is no need to be discouraged, for the answer lies with the puzzle maker, God. Just as joy, peace and happiness are pieces of the whole puzzle, so is pain, suffering and sometimes even death. Each is an ingredient God uses to build faith, which results in praise and glory to God.
Not long ago I saw an unusual artist. He was not your average “run of the mill” painter. A separate easel consisted of several small cans of different colored paint was directly behind him. A stage was the backdrop, and a large audience seated was his critics. Painter’s tarps covered the stage floor, because of his enthusiastic painting style. The canvas, on which he used, was five foot square, and it spun 360 degrees.
Using both hands with various brush sizes, he attacked the canvas with the ferocity of a lion. He splashed dark yellow, bright red and brilliant blue paint upon the white canvas in a frenzied manner. With his hands, he moved the colors into an unrecognizable pattern, while his rhythmic movements kept beat with the background music. His long shoulder length hair flashed from side to side trying to keep up with his awkward movements. The stylish artist moved all over the canvas, keeping the crowd guessing, and occasionally turning his piece upside down to work his magic.
To the audience, the piece appeared to be confusing, and unrecognizable. To the creator his painting was going according to his plan. Slowly the picture began to take shape as he added more strokes to the canvas. Being the performer he was, he added the last distinctive brush strokes for the finale and flipped the painting around. There before our eyes, earlier a virgin canvas, now a magnificent completed work of art. The unsuspecting crowd rose from their seats and gave the artist a thunderous applause!
The moral: Let us not judge God before his painting is finished and the paint is dry!
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
March 5, 2014
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