Puzzle Pieces, the Church and Faith

What do puzzle pieces have to do with church and faith?  I've written before about finding faith in the mundane experiences of daily living. I'd like to muse about today's message and also wander into my own thoughts a bit.

Where do you fit in "the body of Christ"?  What are your unique gifts and areas of expertise that lend themselves to serving Christ?  We explored this very topic at church this morning. It related to our "place" in the church specifically but also on a broader topic our place as part of the body of Christ. How do we use our spiritual gifts, no matter how we down play them, to serve God. And maybe more to the point, do we value the things we see others bring into the church, our lives, and our community?

"The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require."  1 Corinthians 12:21-24

Don't sell yourself short and don't miss opportunities to grow and learn from others

The comparison to a puzzle is easy to understand. We all fit into the larger picture of God's work. Some of us are the smooth edges that form the frame of the picture, while others are jammed right there in the middle!  Each piece fitted together, sometimes it's a snug fit and we almost have to shove a piece into place! It takes focus, determination and time to complete a puzzle.Yet when finished the puzzle is a marvel to look at, like an intricate masterpiece created piecemeal by so many.

This whole concept made me start musing how our faith is sort of like a puzzle itself. Each piece created through life's experiences, musing, reading, conversations with God and interactions with others. Is your faith puzzle missing some pieces?  Sometimes in life we go through periods of time when pieces of our faith puzzle end up lost. Tough times hit and it's hard to see God's plan. The missing pieces are like holes in the heart and leave us empty and searching. We despair that the puzzle will never be complete. Run your fingers across the pieces that are intact, let your focus be on the blessings and strength of the pieces that are fitting, and trust that God will return the missing pieces to complete His masterpiece....YOU.

Going to play with this idea as part of an art journal page. ......

Hugs to each of you. May your church puzzle and your faith puzzle both fit together perfectly with God's plan.

Study of Matthew

I want to read the entire Bible in 2016. So I devised a plan. I contemplated many but I decided to start with the new Testament and therefore am reading Matthew currently. The study is two fold. One as I read I will look for verses or messages that relate to the monthly Soul Care theme (Which for January is Fruits of the Spirit-Love) Second I will look for God's voice in my reading. Messages that resonant and speak to me.

Since I did not start reading until January 4th, I had some catching up to do....Monday I read Matthew 1-6 and today I read 7-10. I have made it a practice to read the verses aloud because I have discovered in the past that it really helps me to stay focused on the message.

As I read through the chapters I came across several gems that really spoke to my heart. One is Matthew 9:28 in which Jesus is healing the blind men and he asked..." Do you believe I am able to do this."  To which they answered "Yes Lord."

How many times do we ask God for something without TRULY believing he can do it?  For me personally it is more... that He can do it but I have a specific outcome I want rather than relying on His plan.  Reading this gave me pause because it pointed out that prayer without faith is like casting your line into an empty pond.

 

 

This has always been one of my favorite verses.  Our Father wants us to have what we need and he is always ready to listen and intercede on our behalf.

 

 

 

I found a Soul Care theme gem too. When Jesus was speaking of false prophets he said, "by their fruit you will recognize them."  The false prophets of today may not be like the ones in Matthew...they may be more subtle and pervasive. It is easy to be lead into belief systems, especially in a political year, but what are the "fruits" of those belief systems? 

 

 

Hugs to each of you and may you recognize the fruits of many strong, good trees in your life!