The Painful Puzzle Pieces

It's amazing to me to remember that God can redeem the pain in our lives for His work and glory! All the parts of life that can seem so unholy, so unforgiveable, so hard to understand . . . all the pieces of the puzzle of life that one would rather hide or ignore . . . it truly is amazing to see God use them to help us through the rest of our journey, to help us make sense of what we see around us. How humbling!

And how many times, when I am willing to admit the presence of those puzzle pieces in my own life, have I found that they may be the very same or similar piece(s) someone else is struggling to fit into their own puzzle. It is so often hard to reconcile why God would allow pain and hard experiences when He also promises to help us through life. But every once in a while, God has affirmed that my choosing to own those experiences and admitting their presence in my life is what has brought healing and my ability to share with others the redemption that is possible. What a gift I need to be more thankful for and more honest with myself about! It is such an important part of the Good News I live out everyday and yet am sometimes unwilling to share.