“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6)

Recently, I received a copy of the following article while in a one-room Amish school house in Pennsylvania.  The author is unknown but the wholesome wisdom in the hand-out is obvious. I’ve added the scriptural references.  Enjoy!

Do you know how much people are like puzzle pieces? Everyone has a different shape…a different color… a different appearance. But we all fit together in a big picture.  We can all come together to make something complete, to make something beautiful.  Everyone has their own place in this life, a space and a purpose specifically carved out for them by our awesome God.  Some fit in the middle with bright colors, and others on all sides of them. And some are outsiders, joining together with just a couple of other pieces on the edge of the picture. But we still need those so-called outsiders to make the puzzle work.  There is a place for everyone, for every piece in this big world.

You will spend a lot of time trying to find your place in the puzzle.  With each activity that you participate in, each interest you pursue, each subject you study, each friend you make, you will be creating your own path, seeking your place in the puzzle. 

Just remember, friend, that everyone is trying to find their place in the puzzle too.  Some won’t fit into certain parts of the picture that you will, and you won’t fit into certain parts that others will.  And that’s okay. There is a place for everyone, and everyone is important in building the puzzle.

So please know that you don’t need to try to change your shape to fit in. You are who you are, and you are important. You are special, and you are loved. You are you.

I hope you always strive to better yourself as a person, but don’t conform just to try to fit in. Thank God for who you are, what you look like, and all the important things you have to offer the world.  And help others be thankful of these things too, by accepting both their similarities and differences. 

If someone doesn’t fit next to you on the puzzle, that doesn’t mean they don’t belong- everyone will make an important impact on the big picture.

Eph 2:10; Eph. 1:21-22); Rom 8:28