When Life Has You Puzzled

Kolleen Lucariello's mind is a wonderful thing. Creative and inspiring, she approaches life with a unique spin on God's hand in our lives. In this Wisdom UPGRADE, she offers sound biblical truth for times when life has us puzzled.

"My granddaughter held the box in her hands and asked, 'What do you say, Mimi? Want to do this puzzle with me?' Hesitation swelled within," Kolleen says, "when I saw which puzzle she held."

I (Dawn) love everything "puzzles," so Kolleen's title immediately drew me in. But her application stuck with me long after I read this post. I've been puzzled about something in my life, and I needed to hear her words.

Kolleen continues . . .

The puzzle contained 1,000 pieces and our time together was almost over; it would be impossible to complete before she left.

My face gave away my thoughts so she followed up with a “Puh-leeeeease?”

“Oh, alright. Let’s give it a try.”

I knew they’d be leaving soon and intended to throw it all back into the box once they walked out the door. However . . .

To my surprise, more family members decided to join in the puzzle fun. Soon, the outer edge was well on its way to completion. Then, with multiple pieces in place we heard, “Okay, kids; it’s time to go.”

After a short discussion on how to proceed, Papa and Mimi decided we’d come too far to take it all apart and throw it back into the box. So, we pressed on. 

As we worked toward our goal to complete the puzzle, there were moments when the similarities between life and a puzzle became clearer to me than the piece I was looking for.

Life certainly can be puzzling sometimes, can’t it? 

I lost count of how many times I’d scan and search for one particular piece for forever, only to have my puzzle partner stand over my shoulder, pick up the piece which was laying right in front of me, slide it in perfectly, chuckle and say, “You mean this one?”

And just like that the missing piece I’d spent an hour looking for was found. 

It’s puzzling how quickly fresh eyes can pick out what has been staring at you but remained unseen.

Why couldn’t I see that?

We may wonder when another brings light to our blind spots. At the moment, it might also be a tad bit frustrating. But it’s valuable if progress is to be made. 

Having my blind spots exposed is humbling. I prefer to believe I don’t have any, but I live knowing I do.

I’ve come to appreciate and value the way God uses others to help me see what I either can’t or, quite honestly, don’t want to. 

As we pushed forward with our puzzle, I noticed how tempting it became to place a wrong-but-close piece into what seemed-like-it-should-go-there.

The puzzle was on our kitchen table for weeks.

We soon had a strong desire to git-r-done. This desire provoked a “close enough” attitude—numerous times. But, one misplaced piece led to several more and caused moments of backtracking when one would say, “That’s not right.” Sigh. 

Things began to move along nicely after we began asking, “Do you think this piece goes here?” 

Puzzle pieces were designed to fit where they were designed to fit. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you can’t force the wrong piece in where it wasn’t intended to go.

Mistakes happen, but the greater tragedy is our refusal to admit them or seek advice in the hopes of limiting them.

A countless number of people are backtracking through their life story to find healing from wounds inflicted through mistakes and missteps. When we don’t know how to proceed, wisdom asks, “Do you think this piece goes here?” 

Perhaps God would use our journey through Puzzle Park to bring an upgrade in a life that’s been puzzled by circumstance.

If that’s you, I’d like to offer you these two nuggets. 

1. Walk in Wisdom

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” or “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 12:15, 28 ESV).

Whether it is in our parenting, marriage, career, life-choices, or relationships: God used Solomon’s words to reveal the important role we play in the lives of others—to help uncover blind spots.

Only a fool would want to live blind and frustrated by what others can see.

2. Don't Give Up.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 ESV). 

When you’ve hit a snag and want to cater to the “close enough” attitude, please remember there is beauty in completing the work God set before you. Press on!

The puzzle we almost gave up on due to its difficulty is now framed for full display during the Christmas season.

God holds the pieces to our life puzzle.

• He knows the entirety of the plan He has for us.
• He’s aware when we’re stuck behind blind spots and has planned our way to clarity. We are wise to listen.
• He also knows when weariness is hindering our attitude to give our best effort. We are wise to ask for help.

So, when life has you puzzled, do you allow wisdom to lead the way?

Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of #beYOU: Change Your Identity One Letter at a Time and is the Co-Director of Activ8Her, Inc. She is passionate to every woman realize her identity in Christ and live accordingly. Kolleen and her hubby, Pat, make their home in Central New York. She’s the mom of three grown children and Mimi to six incredible grands. For more information about Kolleen, visit www.speakkolleen.com

The Secret to Doing Hard Things

Kathy Carlton Willis is amazing. I've watched her go through a series of tough circumstances over the last few years, and she always manages to choose biblical responses as she teaches others how to deal with struggles as "God's Grin Gal." In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she shares her secret for doing hard things.

“I’m usually self-sufficient but lately I’ve realized more than ever that I’m not Wonder Woman,” Kathy says. “The demands of life not only highlight my weaknesses, but spotlight God’s strength.

Now I (Dawn) just shared how amazing Kathy is, but if you read her opening statement, you'll realize how humble she is before the Lord, always trusting His sovereign purposes. 

Kathy continues . . .

Everyone’s been talking about what a hard year 2020 has been. My personal worst day of an already bad year happened the day before Hurricane Delta hit our area.

My family sold our forever home to move to an area where my husband’s job landed him, and we dealt with many unknowns at once—more like didn’t deal with them.

The day finally came to load the last POD with belongings and hit the road.

Sometimes you gain life lessons through the worst experiences!

Here’s what I learned.

Don’t believe what they say a POD storage unit holds. 

We packed to the ceiling, but still had items that wouldn’t fit. So we had to leave behind multiple pieces of furniture. This day was a day of many mini goodbyes.

Packing and loading a POD with your mate will show you how well you work together and love each other. 

Russ and I passed that test!

I also learned I’m still strong physically and on the inside. Grateful for that strength to come through when I needed it.

One time when we flipped a heavy desk upside down to stack it on top of the washer and dryer, I turned to Russ and said, “We did this. We did this. We did this!

Sometimes you have to celebrate the immediate accomplishment before the entire goal is even completed.

Moving the day before a hurricane hits is not wise. 

Loading a POD while it’s lightly raining wasn’t great. But driving in a three-car caravan through almost zero-visibility on highways packed with merciless aggressive drivers evacuating the area is a nightmare.

My husband drove lead and went faster than we were comfortable following. He made a couple of turns not in the plans.

Mom drove in the middle and had a hard time seeing or keeping up with Russ. I was the caboose and my main job was to keep an eye on Mom and go where she went, even when she lost the lead car.

This meant pulling over three times for regrouping and calling Russ to reconnect. The phone map app in remote locations wasn’t reliable.

We truly got to the destination as a grace of God—I’m sure of it.

God can be trusted. 

When we were just two minutes down the road, physically exhausted from loading the POD, emotionally exhausted from saying goodbye to my forever home, and mentally exhausted from dealing with multiple challenges in addition to the weather, I whined to God.

I can’t do this.

God said, “Can you trust Me?”

Yes, Lord.

He said, “Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on trusting Me, and I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll get you there.”

Okay Lord.

For the 2.5 hour trip, I prayed . . . and prayed. 

You can do hard things. 

After enduring the above issues and getting to the destination, we had three vehicles to unload in the pouring down rain, making about twenty trips into our temporary dwelling place.

I was perfectly willing to get soaking wet and exert more physical energy and lifting compared to driving in those awful conditions.

Perspective can help you deal with yucky stuff by remembering something far worse.

Storms are called storms for a reason. 

The physical storm of Hurricane Delta was horrendous. Way worse than predicted. And going through it in a strange place was difficult.

We had three worn out frustrated people who craved space, all situated in tight quarters. Not ideal.

But we were safe. Safe in the storm.

 How to Do Hard Things

1. Trust God.

Without trusting Him, we’re actually trusting in ourselves. And sadly, we don’t have what it takes apart from God to get it done.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).

2. Do the first thing.

Don’t try to tackle it all. Just do the step immediately in front of you. God will show you what it is.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 28:7 NLT).

3. Keep going when it’s hard.

It might not get easier until it is OVER.

“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name’ (Psalm 91:14 NLT).

4. Celebrate when to-do becomes ta-done.

In our eagerness to be productive, we often forget this step before moving on to the next thing.

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 NLT).

Your choices in hard times can spotlight the Lord’s strength and faithfulness.

What hard thing does God want you to do this week?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Look for 7 Trials Every Woman Faces, coming soon. Kathy is active as a book industry pro, and her coaching group, WordGirls, propels women toward their writing goals. She graduated with honors from Bible College and has served 30+ years in full-time ministry. Check out her Grin & Grow Break video devotions on social media. www.kathycarltonwillis.com

Graphic of PODS Storage Unit at Mobile Attic.

Graphic adapted of Hurricane Delta, courtesy of Wikipedia.

When Women Wonder If They Can

In this Attitude UPGRADE, Liz Cowen Furman, an author and artist who also runs a motel in Wyoming, tells how she overcame her fear and blew the doors off their new business.

“I didn’t know the first thing about running a motel,” Liz said, “But I knew we had to make it work or lose it. I was determined to NOT QUIT.”  

Do you identify with her words, like I (Dawn) do? Have you ever had something God placed in your life and you wondered if you were up for the challenge?

Liz continues . . .

After several bad managers, our family decided that if we were going to keep the seasonal motel in the family, like my Father-in-love instructed before he passed, we were going to have to run it ourselves.

Actually, my husband has a career in Denver and the motel is in Dubois, Wyoming, near Yellowstone, so that meant I was going to run it—initially with the help of my three teenage sons.

In the four years since we started, we have grown 87 percent. Several things helped us to succeed.

1. Pray!

I prayed without ceasing that God would open doors for us to use the motel to glorify Him. I prayed our guests would feel as if they were visiting our home. And I asked others to pray.

One night, alone at the motel—other than our guests—I was particularly discouraged. Dave and the boys had gone home for school to start. Missing my family, I prayed for God to show me if we were really supposed to be running this motel in the summers.

Next morning, a guest hung around until everyone left and then asked, “Liz, do you have a minute? I seem to have come to a lonely, desperate place in my life. I took this trip to see if I could figure it out. If not, well then … I am thinking of ending it."

“I noticed last night that you have found hope through your faith in God," he said. "Can you share with me how you did it?”

Holy Smokes, I was so excited! It was as if the answer to my plea was answered by this man’s question. Purpose!

We make s’mores nightly with the guests. The water bubbles by and the fire crackles low—the perfect place for meaningful conversations.

It is a bit like being a bartender. Folks will share their life story.

2. Seek wisdom.

I am on a mission to learn how to do everything better.

With my degree in plumbing from YouTube (ha ha), the classes we have taken from Wyoming Small Business Administration, and the books I have read—you must read Andy Andrews’ The Traveler’s Gift and The Noticer—I am growing my knowledge of how to run a business, how to share my faith and how to trust God more.

3. Always be in motion.

It is amazing how much a person can get done when she doesn’t stop doing.

One day a fisherman asked, “Liz, I have been appointed by the regular guests to ask you a question, can I ask you now?”

“Shoot” I replied from the ladder where I was working on the gutters.

“Do you ever sleep?”

“What?” I said.

“Well, you are out here when we come out in the morning and when we go in to sleep. We just don’t think you ever stop.”

I laughed.

The days are long in the summer. I leave my home in Denver a size 12 and come home a size 8—another perk of running your own business.

Every spring I make a list and all summer I just do the next thing.

Whenever I feel overwhelmed (sometimes daily), I go back to the list and tell myself, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

What has God put on your heart to do for Him? Will you persist without exception to get it done? Will you seek wisdom? Will you pray?

Liz Cowen Furman is an author, artist, encourager, mentor, teacher and speaker. Writing is like the balm of Gilead for Liz. When she is not working on a book, she is writing articles and blogging. She has published three books, is a member of AWSA (Advanced Writer Speaker Association) and a graduate of Christian Communicator’s Conference. She has written humor for The Christian Pulse magazine and for AWSA’s Suicide Blog. Liz’s new Bible Study, Trusting God in Everything: A Bible Study for Women Who Wonder If They Can, releases May 20, 2015. Find it on Amazon.