It's a Puzzle: A 10-Day Devotional About... LifeExemple

Day 4: Pieces Will Get Lost... And Added

The theater was dark, and it was about halfway through the movie when my roommate found us and whispered, “Your dad’s in the hospital, and you need to go there now.”

Denise and I had been dating only a few months, but she already knew me well enough to say, “I’m driving.” (I’m guessing she wanted to make sure we didn’t require hospital services.)

The ride to the hospital is a complete blur to me now. If we spoke en route, I don’t recall the conversation. I don’t remember us parking the car or asking anyone where we were supposed to go to see my dad. I even thought the first person to meet us in the hallway was my mom, but my sister came around the corner, her arms out in a confused half-shrug and saying in a bewildered voice... “He’s gone.”

My dad was in good health, so it shocked us all when his body stopped functioning. And in an instant, one of the most important pieces of my life’s puzzle was lost, taken away from me... my mom... my sister... and many others.

And then, before another full year had gone by, something wonderful happened.

On a beautiful late Tuesday afternoon, Denise and I were married on a cliff near the Atlantic Ocean in Bear Cove, Nova Scotia, and together we each had another puzzle piece added to our lives.

And although the loss of my father at a young 52 years of age was devastating, over time, I began to see things more clearly:

• The reality is unless Jesus returns in our lifetime, we will all die.
• I know my dad believed in Jesus; I am convinced I will see him again someday.
• For thirty years, I had a solid, loving, caring father as my role model who loved Jesus, was a good husband, and was proud of his kids.

Pieces will be added and lost in this life: relationships, jobs, possessions, bills, kids, health... it’s inevitable. And if you actively seek God first in everything through His Son, Jesus, He will provide the best-planned puzzle for your life. (John 10:7-10)

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” God’s plans are perfect. He’s also timeless, which means He’s already seen where your life is heading. Trust Him in all circumstances to keep you on the right path.