I tend to have a “fix-it” personality. I want to say the right thing, do the right thing to help someone (or maybe help me) feel better about the situation, circumstances, themselves, and so on. I admit, it’s gotten me into some trouble.
But I’m learning.
I am a visual person, and I believe God uses visual images to help me understand things. I trust Him in this. A while back, I was struggling with someone, frustrated that the choices they were making were causing them (and maybe even me) to suffer in ways that I could not control or fix. It’s not a feeling I like.
As I was thinking of all of this, I saw an image of a puzzle. I was sitting at a table, Jesus is sitting next to me and there is a puzzle on the table. It’s got a lot of pieces to the side, waiting to see where they fit. I realize it is of this person’s life. I’m trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Jesus slowly reaches over, and takes my hands and places them in my lap. He’s telling me lovingly, gently, that this is not my puzzle to put together. Big sigh. Okay Lord, I hear you.
Later I see Jesus sitting with this person at the table, working together on the puzzle. I walk over and watch, and then try to sit down with them. Jesus gets my attention, shakes his head no and looks over at a different table. I see another puzzle and an empty chair. He’s directing me to go sit there with Him, that is the puzzle of my life to work on.
I then looked around and could see other people at tables. Jesus was at each one, sitting and working together with the person whose puzzle (life) it was. How often do I want to get up and go look at the other puzzles? Maybe even weigh in on it, to say, let’s try putting that piece there? I don’t think I would want someone else coming and telling me how to do my puzzle. It’s like in kindergarten when the teacher tells the children to stay in their seats and do their own work. I think of, perhaps even worse, to compare their puzzle to mine. Does their’s look better or have more pieces in place? Comparison is the thief of joy.
I ask Jesus “Wait, these are my family and friends. Aren’t I in some of these puzzles?” Jesus assures me that I am definitely in there, but it is not my place to put their puzzle together. That is between them.
Another big sigh. I know I have work to do, to learn to stay in my own seat.
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