The Bible says that God holds all things together. Colossians 1:17 reads, "He himself existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together."

I've never really given that truth much thought … until recently. I have found that some days, no, MOST days, I need someone to help me hold all things together! Maybe that's why I like puzzles. Yes, I admit it ... I like jigsaw puzzles. Wow, that was difficult to confess. 

There is something about sharing that tidbit of information that makes me feel old. What next?  Orthotics for my shoes,Christmas sweaters, wearing a shawl, lap blankets, knitting, bifocals?  Oh wait, I already have bifocals. The cool part is that they are bifocal contacts! I have no clue how they work, I just know that I can see the fine print on my prescriptions (LOL!).

There is probably nothing cool about saying you like jigsaw puzzles. In fact, it gets worse … the puzzle I spent most of Christmas trying to piece together was none other than a Christmas CAT puzzle. Could I be a bigger loser?

Now, I'm not a cat fan but I suppose if you can't have a dog then cats make a decent second choice for a pet! Anyway, someone gave my daughter a cat puzzle for Christmas and although I am not a cat fan, somehow the cat puzzle kept calling my name. It managed to continually lure me into the dining room where all the pieces had been strewn across the table. I found myself constantly returning to the unfinished puzzle searching for just the right piece to complete the festive felines frolicking in front of the Christmas foliage. Oh, I tried to escape it, but the cat puzzle just kept beckoning. 

There is something about working on a project and in the end having it look exactly like the picture on the box that gives me great satisfaction. There is some kind of strange comfort in searching for just the right piece and alas finding its mate that perfectly interlocks … the one and only piece for which it was specifically designed.What is even more amazing is that everything fits! Every single piece connects perfectly and completely to another. And if you try hard enough you can complete it and in the end it will work out perfectly. The added bonus is that not only do they all fit together, they make something beautiful that looks exactly like the picture on the box. Amazing, huh? 

I enjoy knowing how something is going to turn out. That is one of the great things about puzzles. If you are willing to work hard enough, you can have it turn out exactly as expected. Wow, that is rare! There are so many things in life that are not what I had expected. There is so much that does not turn out like I think it should.

Some days it just seems like everything is out of my control. What once was true is no longer.  Yesterday everything seemed fine and today nothing is right. Life is funny that way, huh? When I have one of those days (weeks, years) I find the puzzles calling my name a little louder. It gives me a sense of order in things, of structure and boundaries and connectedness. Most of the time we have lofty, sometimes unreasonable, expectations that fall devastatingly short or go completely unmet. 

But our God is a God of holding all things together. He can take all the pieces scattered across the dining room table of our life and make something beautiful. He can connect it altogether and not only fit it together but HOLD it together. For that I praise Him!