For a while now, I have been feeling like my life is one big pile of puzzle pieces, strewn across the living room floor. There is a box somewhere nearby with a picture of what this mess is supposed to look like when it is all put together.
Every once in a while, I get a spurt of clarity and a string of those fragments start to come together. I have edges formed all the way around now and some clusters of pieces that go together. Its baffling that some of those clusters look as though they don't belong in there whatsoever. And some days, I just walk away and leave the mess alone... some days the puzzle is not meant to be solved.
Then, as a new grouping of blurry random shapes and images comes together, there is a little tingle of excitement and the pile appears to be less of a mess and more like an opportunity to find an answer.
More often than I can count lately, I have gotten distracted with the details of my job/career, finances, children's world, health, and other puzzlements and I have forgotten that in each of these episodes of struggle and solution has come a breakthrough -- an epiphany, a growth spurt of understanding or acceptance, forgiveness and compassion. The picture is forming. Some of the pieces are missing or lost even now, but still it is taking shape. This on-going process from mess to masterpiece is the cycle of my life. Fragile as it may be, each jagged edge has proven to fit a purpose to blend with yet another singular piece. Each piece is part of a wonderful and whole, artfully designed, big composition.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It must be different when you look over the shoulder of someone putting their puzzle together. Because I see the puzzle of this beautiful woman inside and out and the perfect family she has helped put together and it seems to match perfectly with the picture. And it does seem near completion.
ReplyDeleteI must lean in a little closer and see what's missing and what piece has taken on a different shape. I've never seen the mess--only the masterpiece and it's nearly put together.
Anytime you need help finding that one illusive piece just let me know. I'll be there.
Love you much. bj
You wrote this before our lovely lunch last week! Funny that the subject matter seems to fit the direction our conversation went.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking, how when putting together a puzzle, sometimes there are pieces that are just solid black, no hint of where on earth they fit into the picture, other than their shape. Those dark sections of the puzzle can be the LONGEST and most FRUSTRATING portions to figure out, but when they are finally together, you are so proud to have figured out one of the hardest parts!
And once it's all together, those dark sections are so necessary to creating the overall picture, the depth of color that causes the bright spots to really pop.
maybe none of this makes any sense, but thinking back on our conversation thursday, I know that any time you have had to struggle through a dark section of the puzzle, it has made you, and the overall picture, even more refined and beautiful.
I'm really grateful to have that so close in my life to learn from, relate to, and admire! :)
love you! -L