The Past . . .

Sometimes the mysteries of the past are revealed. Sometimes we get just a little more of the picture as we grow older. Have you ever received information that you find to be a missing puzzle piece – as if you’ve had a partially completed puzzle sitting on your coffee table for 15 years? My puzzle is a picture of spiritual upbringing. It is the first 5 years of my life as a Christian in one snapshot. The first 5 years of the Christian life seem to parallel the early years of a human life. It is an impressionable time – a time of critical growth. Good parenting is extremely important during this time as many basic life skills are learned and practiced.

I was given a piece of that puzzle last night. This piece was so critical that, once in place, it reveals part of the snapshot that was unrecognizable before. More of the puzzle seems to make sense now. I hate the piece I received. I hate the news I was given. The feelings are so new that it is difficult not to hate the entire puzzle – just because of this one piece.

Yet, I am an adult today. The puzzle is only a snapshot of the past. Although the past leaves imprints on the present and the future, it is over with. New knowledge doesn’t change who I am as an adult. It may help me to recognize some of the identifiable scars, but it cannot continue to wound. In fact, new knowledge can even give me a clearer picture of God’s power, goodness, protection, provision, and of His ability to develop me into a mature adult despite the past.

Of course, the puzzle is still not complete. Many pieces are yet to be found. In some ways, this new piece even brings more confusion on other parts of the snapshot. But, I believe God reveals these pieces, in time, to give us the view of the snapshot that we need right now. It is my puzzle – my story. As ugly as it may become with each new puzzle piece, I will embrace it, own it, and learn from it.