Puzzles

I hate puzzles. I do not have the patience or perseverance to sit for hours to place a handful of pieces...and it absolutely drives me crazy when there is inevitably a missing piece. I recently finished a book, Parenting the Hurt Child, that compared a puzzle with the frustrations and joys that a mom had after adopting a traumatized child. The following is a paraphrase of that excerpt that also describes how we have felt here at CLM.

Imagine that someone has given you a puzzle to put together. When you look at the pieces, everything is gray and some of the pieces are rough around the edges. Of course, it comes with no picture and no directions. You try each piece and over time you are able to put some of the pieces together but for every couple of pieces that fit, you have tried and discarded many more. Some days you can't even stand to look at the puzzle but other days you work and work and are excited to find just one piece that fits. Other people come in and tell you that you are wasting your time...there are missing pieces and it won't be a very pretty picture when you're done.

But then one day, a very special person comes and is able to add color to your picture. He brings you framework, patterns, and best of all, a guiding hand. After many years, your puzzle is almost completed. Yes, there are still a few pieces missing, and some pieces are ragged and tear-stained...but it is the prettiest picture ever.

Jesus is the only One that can bring true healing to the torn and missing pieces of our children's past. Thank you for standing with us in faith for a miracle in each of their lives.