I love jigsaw puzzles.  In the first two years of our marriage (you know, before kids), my husband and I worked on many together.  After the kids were old enough to not bother them, I did them again for a while. My husband and I even enjoyed putting a few together on vacation a few years back.  But I have discovered jigsaw puzzles on my laptop.  It sure beats trying to make sure pieces don’t fall to the floor, get eaten by dogs, or hidden by grandchildren.  But I still love the time, effort, and patience it takes to put together a large count jigsaw puzzle. When it could be left out safely on a table, I loved being able to walk by every so often and suddenly notice just where a piece needed to be placed.  That “aha” moment of seeing more clearly where things belong. Life is a good bit like that isn’t it? We can look back and see more clearly where things belonged.  

As parents, we don’t always have a clear picture of how everything should fit together.  In those early years, we focus on just surviving and making sure our children survive. Our skillset takes time to develop. Based on our own experiences and family relationships, we may take longer than others to perfect the skills needed.  But by the time grandchildren arrive, many parents have learned a thing or two.  My mom sure did some things quite differently with my children than she did with my sisters and me. She learned the same about her own parents when we lived in that farmhouse with them.

By the time my kids were in middle school, my mom had a new way of dealing with frustrations.  When they became upset about how long something was taking, she would ask them “How do you spell patience?” Then she would make them take the time to spell it letter by letter.  It was actually quicker than counting to ten, but it did make them think about what they were spelling. They would return from a week at her home and share stories of spelling p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e.  

My mom came to live with us to be closer to preferred doctors for cancer treatments several years ago. Her use of spelling “patience” became a topic of conversation frequently.  Especially after my first granddaughter arrived during that time period. Once I was a grandparent myself, I quickly realized how much we change our thoughts about raising children once we have a grandbaby to love!  It also helped me to see more clearly how my own mom had done the best she could with the skills she had at the time. Raising three girls on her own was not easy.  Thankfully we had wonderful grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends in our lives. They partnered with her to raise us to know Jesus.

I now think of P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E in many different ways.  Just as I remember how much patience those 500 piece and larger jigsaw puzzles took to put together, I also remember the satisfaction of completing them.  Seeing a project in its final form is always very satisfying.  I think of the project that I myself am for God.  Oh my, at the patience he has with me!  He is patient with me when I take too long to come to him in prayer – for both the big and little things.  He is patient with me when I plunge headfirst into my plans without seeking his guidance.  He is patient with me when I make poor choices. He WAS patient with me when I took my time to finally admit I needed his saving grace.  He continues to patiently mold me to make me into what He wants me to be.

Towards the end of my mom’s battle with cancer, I began to joke with her every time she asked someone to spell patience.  My verbal response became “w-a-i-t”. God is patiently waiting for you.  If you haven’t yet admitted your need for Jesus, feel free to reach out to me for help in asking him to share His mercy and grace with you. 

“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation,” 2 Peter 3