A puzzle enthusiast became frustrated when she discovered one of the corner pieces was missing. To top it off, the puzzle was brand new, and was a Christmas gift. Now, one piece of a puzzle is not all that important. Besides, the missing piece was in a corner and was only some blue sky. The rest of the puzzle was beautiful and perfect. Most people would not agree. Even if it is an old puzzle, every piece is important. A puzzle without all the pieces is an incomplete picture.
We are similar to that puzzle piece. God wants us to be part of his overall plan and picture. How comforting it is to know how valuable we are! We are important to God. He does not want us to be lost or missing. God considers us so important that he wants everyone to spend eternity with him. He makes that clear in his Word by saying he “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). There are no unimportant people in God’s eyes. Each one of us is precious to him. We do not deserve such status. We have not kept God’s demands perfectly. We just celebrated this great act of love in the gift of the Christ child. God sent His one and only Son into this world to be our Substitute and redeem us from our just punishment. No one is left out. God truly loves and wants all the puzzle pieces of His great picture. You are an important part of God’s beautiful picture of life.
As we move into a new year, of course, we don’t know what it will look like or where we might fit in. While not always the case, when we look back over the past year(s) we can often see how the Lord was at work in our lives and where we fit into His grand design. In this new year let us trust in the Lord and seek out His plan in our lives as we grow in His love.
On a more personal note, this past year was a great year, yet a very difficult one at the same time. As you’d expect, I’m still trying to adjust to the puzzle piece missing in my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better year of experiences and opportunities to enjoy Ruth Ann’s last months with myself and our family. She is dearly missed, but we rejoice that she is free of pain and suffering, and is with the Lord. Thank you to all of you for your prayers, love and support. The new year for me is a little puzzling as I seek out God’s picture and my part in it. But I know He has a plan! I am so happy to be here at Trinity as I (we) seek out God’s plan together.
Happy New Year!
~Pastor Dennis Krueger