Puzzle Piece Epiphanies

Epiphanies are strange sorts of things.  They strike you when the time doesn't seem right, convenient, or appropriate.  In sort, you don't know when they are coming and, often, are completely blindsided when they are revealed to you.

Today I am writing on the epiphany of another person, who figured I'd have the words to convey this message through my blog.  Let me just say I am simultaneously flattered and horrified. But, I am going to give it my best shot.

Let me also add the disclaimer that I've chosen just a fragment of the information that was shared with me.  I think the entirety of the message I was sent can't be shared in one post.  So, I've chosen the piece that spoke to me and expect that I'll expound on this more as the week goes by.

And, incidentally, the piece I'm starting with is about pieces.  Puzzle pieces.  If you are like me, I associate puzzles with greatness.

Puzzles are one of the few things you can accomplish with multiple people where competitiveness never takes root.  They can be done in one sitting, especially if you are captive to a rainy day and you want a group activity that lends itself to conversation but also feel the need to be "busy".  I have great memories of puzzles done on family trips to the lake and Christmas themed puzzles done over the long, holiday break and of the laughter and camaraderie those times created.

Human beings are also like puzzles.  Each and every day, we wake up in a broken world, ourselves broken by the sin inherent in living on this planet.  It is our job, with the help of Christ, to find a way to put ourselves together to serve Him in an appropriate fashion.

The problem is that most of us carry around frustrations, anger, and disappointment from days gone by.  And, with those unresolved emotions in our heart, we wake up sinful and open to attacks from Satan.*  Jesus stated in Mark 7:  “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

As long as we find ourselves trapped by any of these evil thoughts, we are separated from our fellow man by lack of forgiveness.  And when we refuse to forgive, God can not forgive us.** So, it is imperative that, first and foremost, we turn to God as often as it takes, and ask him to cleanse us of our sinful thoughts and actions.  His forgiveness should, in turn, cause us to return to the person against whom we sinned, and ask for their forgiveness.

It is from this place of completeness that we are able to address the pieces that make up the puzzle of our daily lives. 

We are commanded in Ephesians 6:14-17 to "stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Piece by piece, we are to build our armor and wear it to shield ourselves from the evil that surrounds us.  It is only in remembering that God has sent us a way to protect ourselves and actually wearing that armor that we can stand firm in God's promises on a daily basis.  In other words, it takes ACTION.

Think about what an armor does:  it protects you.  God knows that we need constant shelter from evil, so, in His goodness, He sent us an armor that protects us WHILE also bringing us closer to Him.  When we put on the armor of God, we gain open access to His word, His protection, His help, His love.  And, when we are that close to God, we can't help but hear His voice.

So, what if you forget the armor one day?  What if you have a day when one of your kids barfed at 3am and you had to run the shower to help the other one with croup and are just exhausted?  And the thought of forgiving your husband for not helping in the wee hours of the morning just isn't on your radar screen;  you'd rather stew.  And, the armor?  Much too heavy to pick up.

The sad news is, you leave yourself exposed.  And, isn't the time when you are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted exactly when you need armor the most?***

Let me lay this out concretely:  daily, we put together a puzzle of protection.  It allows us to walk through our day close to God, able to hear His voice, able to follow His commands, able to be confident in our strength, through God, to ward off evil in our lives.

I don't know about you, but I will never look at a puzzle the same way again.  And I'll never forget the armor that God has equipped me with.

When the Lord of the universe gives you a gift so precious, how can you possibly refuse it?




**See Matthew 6:15.

***I don't know about you, but when MommaJ doesn't get a good sleep and is dealing with sick kids and all I want is a nap, I am open to committing a multitude of sins.