Praise Him for Your Puzzle

It puzzles me; but, Lord, Thou understandest,

And wilt one day explain this crooked thing.

Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Thy best--

Its very crookedness taught me to cling.

Thou hast fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,

To keep my wand'ring eyes fixed on Thee;

To make me what I was not, humble, patient;

To draw my heart from earthly love to Thee.

So I will thank and praise Thee for this puzzle,

And trust where I cannot understand.

Rejoicing Thou dost hold me worth such testing,

I cling the closer to Thy guiding hand.

--F.E.M.I., from Streams in the Desert 

Sometimes a puzzle is a very challenging undertaking. You wonder if you will ever complete it. It seems impossible that those innumerable little pieces could ever be assembled to create one beautiful picture...

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 

The Lord knows. It is all working--not by individual "puzzle pieces"--but together for good. What is indeed impossible it that evil could have a part in His perfect plan! He "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will". He is working, piece by piece, bringing each one out of a confusing pile, to create a beautiful picture of grace in your life.

  

When you are making a puzzle with a friend, how much fun it becomes! My dear little friend is very clever. She did most of this Big Clifford puzzle all by herself! What a sweet time we had together. (Unfortunately, Clifford had a hole in his tent--aside from it being a tad too tiny. =)

Such precious memories... 

God has been so good. 

I have been blessed.