Missing Peace
It was a dark and stormy night,
upon which I thought I might
attempt to un-puzzle the
uncertainty within me -
searching for that missing peace.
Intertwined in past and present,
portrayals of memories spent,
all shaped my personality,
increased individuality,
each part a piece of who I am.
These bits of picture puzzle lay
scattered in total disarray
like photos twirled within the wind
then left leisurely to descend
to fall wherever they may.
Each piece presented a point in life
either filled with joy or with strife.
Some sharply jagged shards
retold a time when life was marred.
Still, these points had a purpose.
Others arched and dipped and bent
as my life was casually spent
bustling from day to day.
Straight edges did replay
tedious times of much the same.
Pastel parts shone sweet innocence,
blushing charming childhood events.
Vibrant flashes of color told
stories of when I was bold
as scarlet lipstick and fedora hats.
Darker pieces smoldered still
of when life's struggles seemed all uphill.
Depression, like the black hole's grasp,
sucked dreams from my tight-held clasp,
- my soul full of unfulfillment.
As interlocking images merged,
a scene within a scene emerged.
A photo-mosaic work of art;
from which my puzzle did impart
more than what meets the unseeing eye.
For as my life was put in place
I began to see Another’s face
My heart could not help but implore,
"Is this pretend or something more?
Are You really a part of who I am?"
A loving voice gently replied,
"Please let your doubts and fears subside.
Is it so hard to comprehend?
For your name is inscribed upon my hand;
your face is engraved within my heart.”
"I am in you and you in Me
always have been, always will be.
You have let me in your heart;
Now, I will forever be a part;
no matter what piece life's puzzle plays."
That -
was when I finally found
the Peace I had been missing.
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Have you ever seen a photomosaic puzzle? Thousands of miniature images combine to make one amazing puzzle portrait and the puzzle itself is an extreme challenge. And so the unpuzzling of pieces begins . . .
Oh, and by the way, the "dark and stormy night" is a tribute to one of my most beloved childhood "friends", one of the most well known, want-to-be authors ever - Charles Schulz's Snoopy! :-)
Recently, I was doing some soul searching. No, it was not really a dark and stormy night, but a storm did rage within me.
My emotions smoldered for several days as I battled with my own inner turmoil. So, me being me, I finally picked up a notebook and started to write to try and figure things out. One of the phrases that popped in my head was, "Is this all just pretend or are you
(God) really a part of who I am?" That phrase just wouldn't go away.
I honestly don't know how the thought of the puzzle came into play. Somehow, as I wrote, I was reminded of a photomosaic puzzle I have; and how all the pieces come together to form something greater than the tiny illustrations alone.
My "AH HA!" moment! That is how I see my life. Everything in my past has in some way shaped me into the person I am today. Good times, hard times, scary times, foolish mistakes, all of it. . . Even my present choices, good or bad, still effect who I am and my future. Yet, God is
always there somewhere in the midst of it all - even in my worst mistakes and most embarrassing moments. My prayer is that when all the pieces of my life's puzzle are put into place, the greater image of Christ working in the background shines through; and that through my mere existence, in some way, His divine glory appears to others!
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My Prince of Peace, I remember putting puzzles together with my Dad as a child. It always drove me crazy that I could look for a missing piece for the longest time and he could walk right up, look over the strewn puzzle, pick one up and just plop it into place. I would look so long that the pieces all began to look the same. I would become frustrated and confused -which just made finding the right piece even harder. Dad's vision was always clearer and Your's, Heavenly Father, sees how everything fits together from the beginning to the end. Thank You for clearing my muddled vision, calming my confusion and for reminding me that You are a part of every piece of my life. ~ Amen
