The Missing Piece

 A family friend got us a puzzle to work on when they were visiting last week: a colorful seashell puzzle that featured a huge, prominent yellow starfish near the center. It was a gorgeous puzzle, but that starfish was a beast. We decided to save it for the end since every piece looked just like the next one. But at some point during the assembly of this 500-piece jigsaw beauty, we lost a piece. Not of the starfish, but rather of a bright pink shell. We looked everywhere for it, under the cushions, under the furniture. It was nowhere to be found. We just came to the conclusion is was gone and decided to finish the rest of the puzzle regardless. When it was completed, I texted a picture of it to everyone who helped us work on it. My daughter then commented, "Still missing that one piece." Even though that beast of a starfish was completed, the puzzle wasn't complete without the missing piece.

It got me thinking about our unique value to God's plan. Each created by God for a specific part in growing His Kingdom, we are all different, quirky, special, one-of-a-kind masterpieces designed for God's purposes. That gives a new perspective on our value as children of God. One can't be missing. I suppose that's reason Christ said he'd leave the 99 to find the one, "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish." Matt. 18:12-14

This became more evident to me when searching for particular pieces in completion of the puzzle. Looking for that piece that had a little bit of this or that color with just the right shape, I'd come across one that surprised me when it actually fit. The piece by itself didn't look like anything in particular, but put into the puzzle suddenly made a gorgeous picture. When we look in the mirror and wonder why we look a certain way, act a certain way, have specific talents or interests, it may seem we don't necessarily fit in, when in reality, we are a necessity. We help complete the plan ... and in the process become complete ourselves.

In the sermon Sunday, our pastor referenced Mark 1:11 - "And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."  He encouraged us to remember that our Father feels the same way about us as He does about His Son, Jesus. You are a child that He loves. With you He is well pleased. It's a message we all need to hear. In your unique, distinctive, particular, extraordinary way, you are a key part of God's plan to grow His Kingdom, and more importantly, He loves, loves, loves us, enough to chase us so that none go missing.

By the way, my daughter asked me to look under the couch to see if the missing pink piece was there. I thought we'd looked everywhere, but low and behold, there the missing piece was. We spent a lot of time searching for that tiny piece. It was worth the hunt, as the puzzle was finally complete.

And we're worth it, too. We may not know just yet where we fit in the completed picture, but God's got it, He adores us and creates us to be the rare, original soul that we are. Oh, that we would always remember our value ... and not just to Him, but to the other pieces interlinked around us.

Leftover Beads

Last week after my accountability group met, we ran into some women of the church getting together for a women's meeting. One of the ladies, Ruth, was wearing a beautiful multicolored beaded necklace with a cross in the middle. My friend, Debbie, commented, "Oh, I love this! Jill, make me one!" Debbie knows I do some beading. I took a good look at it and said, "Yeah, I think I could make one of those." This particular day, my mom was not doing very well in the hospital, 16 hours away from me, so my mind was preoccupied with her healing and with prayer. Not knowing what quite to do with myself, I pulled the bead case out of the closet and began stringing. Before I knew it, I had four of these multicolored necklaces strung and ready to be given away as gifts. It was very cathartic for me to focus on something else.

When I was thanking Debbie at today's accountability group meeting for asking me to make one I shared with her, "You know I buy a few beads for this or that project and inevitably have one or two of those beads always left over and never had anything I could do with them. This gave me something to do with those leftover beads." Debbie said, "I think there is a message there, isn't there?" Indeed, there is. What I thought I would not be able to use was combined with a bunch of other different beads to make something beautiful. It reminded me of the accountability group I was a part of and the very church building we were sitting in. The church is made up of many different people, all sinners, all with a story, some in the autumn or winter of their lives and others in the spring and summer. These are people searching for love and purpose. Everyone one has a different personality, talent and gift. They all come from different backgrounds, environments and socio-economic levels. We all look different, dress different and even worship differently. But bring us all together and you have the most beautiful thing. You have the body of Christ, uniquely designed, working exquisitely together for His glory.

These necklaces I made ... you can wear them with anything. They have so many colors, they would work with whatever you wear. I think the church is like that as well. It works for everyone. No matter where you came from and where you are going, your church family fits perfectly. It's a blessing in this country of ours that we have the option to worship our Creator wherever we want in whatever way is most comfortable for us.

I am grateful for my peace of mind, that my friend asked me to make her a necklace and even more grateful that she brought to my attention the message in it. I don't think it was her intention to help keep my mind occupied while worrying about my Mom, but in her sweet request, that's exactly what happened. I was able to gift her as she had indirectly gifted me. Church family works that way.

If you don't have one, find one. Find a place where you can worship unique to who you are. Make connections through a small group as soon as you possibly can. Serve in whatever way God has gifted you in the church itself and in the community at large out of love for the Father. Watch as your family grows by the many the Father puts in your path with brothers and sisters in Christ. As they bless you, you will bless them and kingdom itself. That's what the body of Christ - in it's unique, lovely way - does together. You are not alone. You are not left over. You are part of something exquisite, so work on getting strung together. And watch what beauty happens.