We’ve been working on a puzzle at our house over the last week and have had so many hands adding to it’s success. The 700-piece picture is almost done and I want to share a few takeaways from putting it together as we prepare to enter a new year.
1. THE BOX is the BOSS! This is the most critical bit of truth and I hope you don’t miss it going into the next year. You can have ALL the right pieces but without a reference point, a goal, an objective, something to guide you, the task of assembling the puzzle is exponentially and unnecessarily harder, if not almost impossible. When you don’t have the end in mind, the immediate road seems exceptionally arduous. The box doesn’t eradicate the difficulty any more than knowing the destination removes the journey, but it does a few crucial things. 1. It makes sense of all the little details and puts them into perspective by taking the focus off each individual piece and holding it in light of the bigger picture. 2. It helps guide and group the undistinguishable pieces into something a little more manageable. It gives them a space to work from. 3. It gives purpose to the seemingly insignificant. Without the box, however, the pieces get lost in the chaos and they themselves become the sole focus of trying to put them in order. This will be a devastatingly painful and consuming process that doesn’t consider how anything else fits.
2. LIGHT MATTERS! In dim lighting, the nuances of colors get swept into each other and they become a jumbled mess. Little highlights melt into the pool of monochromatic tones when light is limited. But when there is adequate lighting, even the most subtle marks and highlights become visible.
3. CHANGE FUELS CHANGE! This may seem redundant or stupidly obvious, but I think it’s worth noting. The old adage rings true here: If you do what you always did, you’ll get what you always got. So, staring at the board, looking for a singular piece for an extended period of time, especially when you’re stuck, will only create more stress, tension, and frustration. The best thing to do, in order to see change, is to get up, take a break, and let your brain reset. Or maybe just change the section that you are working on as it will lead you to that desired end, just from a different direction. If you’re stuck, try a new route.
4. TEAMWORK ISN’T JUST FOR DREAMS! While it absolutely can accomplish grandiose plans, sometimes, it is what’s required to just get the ball rolling or enact change. Embrace, Invite, and Celebrate EVERYONE who plays a role, from one piece to the final piece and every piece in between. Puzzles are so much more fun with others and get accomplished so much faster when it’s not just a solo act. More eyes, more hands, more minds, working on the same puzzle will get 10x the work done in half the time. Don’t let pride prevent your progress.
Now, let’s just apply these in the context of your life and how you want to move forward in 2023.
1. What’s your endgame. Simon Sinek says, “start with the end in mind.” This will allow you to shape everything else to move you that. If your goal is to build a house, then building a boat, a barn, or balloon animals, are easily identified as threats to completing your goal and therefore easily avoided. What boats, barns, or balloon animals have kept you too busy to build your house? Time to say yes to the ONE thing so you can say NO to everything else.
2. Darkness is equated to evil and chaos in every context. And if you are living in darkness or there are parts of your life that NO ONE knows about, then they are likely going to always throw shade on your path, which will in turn, cause confusion in your steps, or when it comes to making sense of the pieces of your life. Scripture says that the word of God is a lamp at our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105) and Jesus is the “light of the world” (John 8:12). So, spending time with Jesus in God’s word will illuminate and direct your path.
3. Repenting is synonymous with change in the bible. It literally means to TURN and GO THE OTHER WAY! So, if you’re tired of the ways things are going, then maybe it’s time to turn the ship around – one crank of the wheel at a time. And the longer you’ve been doing something, the harder it is to change. But if you do NOTHING to change then NOTHING will change. So, maybe give repenting from those things that are heaviest on your heart. It’s likely the Holy Spirit convicting you in them.
4. You cannot go at it alone. You were born with community in your DNA and made for human connection. So, bring others in on your journey. At RWOL, we specialize in walking the road to restoration with you. We are in it for the long haul. We know it won’t be easy, it won’t always be pretty, it will come with a price, and there’s bound to be roadblocks and detours. But we’ll stick with you the whole way!
Can’t wait to see where this year takes us and I’m looking forward to putting the pieces together with you as you take your next breaths, and every step, each day, through this coming year!!!
#PuzzleMeThis
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Brett
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