Have you noticed how a seemingly mundane activity can inspire one to reflect deeply on what at first glance is totally unrelated to what you are doing? For me, this experience is like what the wise Jesuits are about, namely 'finding God in all things.'
Let me explain. There is a deeper meaning in all things, if only we have eyes to see. Long dark winter nights are conducive to leisurely activities like reading, playing games, or in my case, assembling the 1000 pieces of a challenging jigsaw puzzle. If you, too, are an avid puzzler like me, do you first pick out all the straight pieces and painstakingly piece together the outer edge? Now, there's the rub. You may congratulate yourself, proud of your perfect outer edge only to eventually discover that something is amiss. It may take quite some time before you finally clue in to the obvious. Some pieces just don't belong where you have put them. If even one piece is out of place, none of the others will fit.
So, this got me thinking. Do we at times find ourselves in the wrong place? Have we found our rightful place in the nucleus of our immediate family or our wider circle, in society, in the universe? Whether I liked it or not, I had to dislodge several puzzle pieces I previously fitted together with such certainty. There was no other way. No huffing and puffing, no prodding would make pieces fit snugly if they did not belong where I had mistakenly thought they belonged. No matter how similar the shape or colour, if a piece doesn't fit perfectly it doesn't fit. There is no mis-fit. Even that oddly shaped puzzle piece for which there seems to be no right place, fits. Once in place it blends in perfectly. What an eyesore, if it were missing.
What is the life lesson to be learned from these interlocking puzzle pieces? In the end, once each piece is in its rightful place, together they form this cohesive stunning picture. Blue pieces which enhance the sky did not belong among the blue pieces of the frozen water. The place for the vibrant red pieces is on the roof, not on the snow covered tree. Together, each and every piece, the sum of all the pieces, is needed to show forth the beauty. Likewise, we each play a unique, irreplaceable part in God's awesome symphony of creation. As the great English poet, John Donne pointed out, ‘No man is an island, entire to itself, every man is a piece of the continent …’ If we honour the otherness of those around us, our lives can securely interlock with theirs. Side by side, we fit snugly where we belong. We are companions on this complicated beautiful journey, this puzzle called life. Yes, of course, at times we ruffle each other’s feathers, and sometimes we need to leave a situation where we do not fit. However, when we find our niche, interlocking snugly with those around us, we might be surprised that we can find God in all things - in everyone, in every place, in everything.
Sr. Magdalena Vogt, CPS