PUZZLE PIECES

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

            One of my favorite pastimes is working jigsaw puzzles. I love the challenge of opening a new box, then sorting through the hodgepodge of pieces for the flat-edged ones in order to frame out the puzzle.

At first glance, the various pieces seem nothing more than a jumbled mess of shapes and colors tossed into a box. Yet as I patiently sort and compare each one to the final picture, I am able to make some sense of it.

Occasionally, I run across a few pieces that just don’t seem to fit in with the rest and I am forced to lay them aside until I’m nearing the end.

            Another puzzle I’m always working on is the autism puzzle. One of our sons was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. It has been a interesting, yet rewarding challenge as we learn about autism itself, as well as work with our son to provide an environment in which he can grow and learn to live in a world that thinks and operates differently from him.

Fittingly, the nationwide symbol for autism is the puzzle piece; the pattern reflects the enigmatic and perplexing nature of ASD while the various colors and shapes represent the diversity and uniqueness of each individual on the spectrum.

Autism certainly can be very puzzling to parents as well as the professionals who work with these individuals. Yet more than that are the multitude of baffling questions associated with special needs. Why did God allow this? Will my child improve? How will my child cope in the ‘real’ world? Where do I find help? Will he or she ever be able to live an independent and fulfilling life?

Most of us will never receive answers to some of those pressing questions. A few, certainly, but not all. In our humanness, our understanding is limited. We struggle to comprehend God’s purpose in all of the complexities and challenges of raising a special-needs child. We can’t see the final picture because God has not revealed it to us. Yet.

This is where faith plays such an important role. Even though our present circumstances reach beyond our limited and finite understanding, we know God sees the final picture. Though some of the pieces just don’t make sense, He knows exactly where they fit in. Without those pieces the picture is incomplete, but when each one is in its proper place, even the questionable ones, the result is perfection.

One day, when we stand in God’s presence, we will see through spiritual eyes. All we have endured will finally make sense. Every moment of our lives will, at last, be understood in the grand scheme of His perfect plan.

For He holds the jigsaw box cover and the picture He’s been working on is simply stunning.