“I run my hand across the thick of the terry towels. I’m a farmer’s wife. I’m the homeschooling mother of 6 children. There are no fancy degrees, titles, diplomas hanging on these finger-smudged walls. Are there places that must be known, accomplishments that must be had, before one is really ready?” “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp

Ann Voskamp gets me. There are no diplomas on my walls. The artwork in my office is floral, music-related, our wedding picture, and a calendar. (I recently moved the feminine, pink artwork into here.)

And, I don’t feel really ready!

I smiled when I read a post from themerrymomma.com. They celebrated a big birthday.

“…my husband, Levon, turned the big 3-0! …I like to joke that when we met, God turned to Jesus, handed him a bag of popcorn, and said, ‘Watch this, Jesus!’ …maybe…he was exactly what I needed in order to become who God wanted me to be. …we are each sets of puzzle pieces. And we need all the pieces – his and mine – to complete the picture of God’s design for our life together…” “How Marriage is Like a Puzzle” themerrymomma.com

I grinned because I know they don’t have all the pieces yet. I know I don’t! I was sure I had all 4 corners when we started our family:

1. God
2. Husband
3. Church
4. A job I loved.

Then God yelled, “Plot twist!”

In 3 years, God twisted my puzzle around, leaving the church, friends, and job behind. We started over forming new friendships and doing ministry in a new satellite.

* * * * * * *

Jesus is the most important corner piece – “The Cornerstone.” He is the One that anchors your puzzle, (see Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:19-20). You will deal with several “plot twists” in life, large and small.

A Christian does not fall apart – they pivot.

Sometimes the plot twist is the loss of a spouse through death or divorce. But you get to keep the most important pieces – your children. If God brings a new partner into your puzzle they come as a package. Connected to them are their children.

That corner gets torn apart and everyone gets linked together in a different configuration. There is a lot of turning of each piece. Until you see God’s plan to put your blended family together. Some pieces take longer to attach than others.

The former spouses are still attached to your children. You have to find a way to include them in your puzzle. They are a minor piece and no longer carry the responsibilities of a corner piece.

* * * * * * *

We read of a man whose life didn’t begin until he was in his forties. He was born a cripple. His family set him at The Temple gate to beg. He was not allowed in The Temple.

“Whereas the man’s lameness itself would not necessarily have hindered him, lameness was frowned upon within The Temple courtyards. …Thus the lame beggar remained outside…” Chronological Study Bible Notes.

* * * * * * *

Acts 4:22, “The man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old.” The Message

The first thing he did after receiving his healing was to go into The Temple. He was walking, dancing and praising God. The lame man had to do something – he looked up, expecting. He didn’t just hope it would get better.

“When he says, ‘I hope,’ instead of saying, ‘I have hope,’ that makes it a verb and not a noun. …It’s something that you do. …You cannot go into another year of your life hoping it gets better…” “Hoping vs. Wishing” Steven Furtick, 1 Min Motivation

My new job is this blog. But it is not like any other blog. I write a devotion 7 days a week. (Sometimes, like today, it doesn’t get published until the next day.)

God made it clear He will pay the expenses. Every year is a miracle. I don’t use ads, affiliate marketing links, or ask for donations. I actually pay to keep the ads off. Crazy!

I pretty much ignore the stats. Recently, I noticed my “follow this blog” button was missing. I went into the settings to get it back. I found over 500 new followers. I decided to hide the number of followers.

That stat didn’t excite me. What did? The 23 people who clicked on the “Save me, Jesus, Prayer.” Those stats are eternal! They now have the pivotal corner piece for their puzzle.

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