On our way home from Tennessee last week, we managed to squeeze in just a wee short visit to see my niece Amaris and her mother Anita at the home where they have been staying during Amaris's three-month stay at a lyme clinic near Kansas City. It was a joy to bring just a little joy to Amaris who has been practically bedridden with Lyme and co-infections for years. Her charming little white dog gave us a royal welcome, and then curled back up at the feet of his beloved mistress.
One of Amaris's friends had sent her a wee water fountain which Anita could not get to work. She wondered if Danny could take it apart and take a look at it.
Well, Danny discovered that there was a nearly invisible piece of plastic keeping the water intake covered, which, when removed, was the missing link to why that fountain was not working!
Now the water began to ripple and flow alongside the wee lights, a little piece of cheer for Amaris.
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Anita has not allowed the missing links in her life, or the sorrow of the inability to find a cure for her daughter's lyme, to keep her from being useful.
She spends many hours piecing baby quilts together to give to Lifeline Gifts for layette bundles for moms who choose life.
I had to take a picture of just a few of those quilts that Anita has pieced together while there at the little rented house.
What else can one do with life's pieces--than endeavor to bravely make quilts?
And that Anita is bravely doing, one silent, gentle square at a time.
One beautiful baby quilt at a time--with prayers that the babies enfolded by these quilts will find the grace of God sufficient for every earthly trouble and sorrow.
Underneath the dining room light (half covered with a towel so that the room is darkened for Amaris's weakened eyes) Anita asked if the children wanted to help her finish the puzzle she was also working on.
In no time flat, the children had helped put those last stubborn pieces in, and the beautiful puzzle was all done--a perfect picture of Knitters Delights--a kitten with every color of balls of yarn!
Sometimes life is a puzzle that we don't really know how to put together
Some pieces fit together quickly and perfectly. Others, with much trial and error, work out after a while. And then there are those last miserable, stubborn, difficult pieces.
Often we can't manage to figure them out on our own.
Sometimes we just don't figure them out at all--we need help.
God's help.
Without Him, our puzzling life would be left with many gaping holes, many missing parts, and many annoying pieces.
But then He comes along, whispers His love and care and purposes in our ears, and we put one more piece together.
One more piece,
one more answer,
one more understanding of a hard thing,
one more surrender of what we will never understand.
Like a piece of quilt, and a piece of puzzle, we just ask God to make something beautiful out of the pieces of our broken but surrendered lives.
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