I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. John 14:6

For Christmas I bought a jig saw puzzle for Dan, for us to work on while my Salt Lake family was visiting. It was a 1,000 piece puzzle of Route 66, with vintage  cars and stops along the famous  old Highway. Dan, a hopelessly nostalgic car buff, gave its  history and stories about   driving Route 66  when he was young.  However, it was mostly my daughter and son-in-law who diligently worked on the puzzle. When they left, Dan and I were on our own to finish it. And finish we did. Almost.  Several pieces had dropped onto the carpet and two were chewed up by an unidentified dog, but we managed to find all of them  except for the very last piece, the exact beige color of our rugs. Whether it’s digested in the belly of a dog or still hidden on the floor, we gave up looking for the piece and called it good.

There’s now another puzzle on the table of the BSU Stadium  surrounded by  Boise landmarks.  It has less pieces but it is much harder. We haven’t gotten  far at all  because it’s that kind of puzzle:  seemingly not enough  edge pieces to finish the frame, no clear areas to work out,  and similar colors in the  details. It also has hundreds of tiny, cheering fans in the stands. Without the enclosed photo of the puzzle, I could not imagine what it looked like. Even with the picture, it’s  extremely challenging.  I don’t enjoy it when I can’t ever find pieces that fit. We’re at the point of letting it go and putting it away. (I’m thinking of giving it back to son Chris who is an avid Vandal fan! Enough said.)

The unfinished and scattered puzzle pieces taking up the dining room table remind me of what has been going on this last year and what is facing us in the future. Our once normal, every day lives which were recognizable and familiar have been taken apart, like a completed, no longer interesting or relevant jig saw puzzle.  There are mighty powers moving to discard our values, hopes, faith and dreams, pieces that don’t fit into different  picture.  Their goal is to send the Judaeo-Christian  (God’s) world view and its component pieces (us)  to the landfills as quickly as possible.  After tomorrow’s inauguration of a new administration, we’re  faced with a problematic.  There is no accompanying photo to show us what’s on the table. In 2020 (and long before) we’ve gotten pretty clear glimpses and can identify some of the violent, unrighteous and downright satanic things that are being fitted  together into a misshapen framework. Satan, the author of all this,  never plays fair and won’t show us what  tomorrow, never mind the next four years and beyond will bring. The puzzle pieces he’s laid out are fear, confusion,  anger, hatred, unforgiveness, indecision, worry and anxiety, persecution, sickness and death. His marching orders? Pick  up those jagged pieces. Force  them into life in front of you. Make them fit.

Sorry, Liar- Loser. We win!  That’s not the plan which God has had since the beginning of time. It is Christ crucified to be our everlasting victory.

So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. Matthew 10:26

God’s got the Big Picture as well as all the pieces needed to bring about His purposes. He is working out “cosmic jig saw puzzles” all leading to revelation of the Love of the Son and His lordship over all creation. We are guided  through Scripture and the Holy Spirit to conform every missing piece of life to His. Revelation 19:21 describes Jesus at the end of time.

His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. Rev. 19:12

Jesus is not only the missing piece of the puzzle.  He is the only piece.