"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
This week, coming home, we enjoyed a wonderful treat! As I was driving along side of the ponds, a swan came in to land on the water, right beside us!!!!!!!! Amazing!!! Seeing this brought me to thinking how much life is like a jigsaw puzzle. God has a great and perfect plan, but it involves humans, it involves one who seeks to confuse us, and it involves a lifetime of pieces; relationships and experiences. God has seen the whole picture, and even all the possibilities of what might be.
Our view is not so complete, and sometimes, just a jumbled mess. Some of the pieces are bright, some are dark, and some don't seem to fit at all. My realization, seeing the swan, is how much I didn't know how that sight would complete a part of me that I didn't even know was missing. People speak of having a bucket list, and if I had one, seeing the ocean, maybe even a whale in the ocean, might be on mine. Sure, I'd love to see these things and more, yet God is fully able to dazzle me with what is right here, in our own neighbourhood! Yes, we can make plans. Yes, we need to have a purpose in life. But I find it most rewarding to seek God's plans and purposes in my life. There's some pieces of my life puzzle that I'm still searching for. Sometimes the hardest part is waiting for them to be found. It might be difficult, but important to remember that no matter how big and important this seems in the moment, really, they are just a few pieces in the big picture. There's always other pieces to work with; always something else that needs our time and attention or that can simply be a blessing, encouragement, or learning opportunity for us. Yes, I have a busy brain! LOL All that thought, and probably more, just from seeing a swan. :)