Life is a puzzle

A couple years ago, my husband and I bought a puzzle on a whim, and soon it became one of our favorite hobbies. We spent hours assembling Van Gogh paintings and German castles.

While we had fun, we also had moments of extreme frustration. (I definitely had some harsh words for the Netherlands as I struggled to sort through seemingly identical red tulips.)

Then eventually, we would place the final piece and feel a great sense of accomplishment. 

But after a few days of enjoying the image, we would throw the pieces back in the box. In a matter of minutes, our hours of hard work would be undone.

Life is the same way.

At the beginning of 2018, Taylor was applying for jobs as he finished up his bachelor's degree. He received an out-of-state offer that we felt he should accept. The only problem? I still had one more semester before I could graduate.

We agonized over how to make it work, considering every scenario. We stressed and prayed and asked advice from anyone who would listen.

By some miracle, my petition was granted that enabled me to not only take my final class online but also to graduate early. My employer told me I could keep my job after we moved. Taylor accepted the job offer and passed his difficult licensing exams. We found an apartment. I finished my degree and landed a full-time job. 

The pieces all fell into place.

But before too long, life decided to throw our perfect picture back in the box.

Our current jigsaw is the hardest one we've tackled in our four years of marriage, and unfortunately life doesn't come with a picture on the box that you can use as a guide. Some days I feel like giving up and swapping it out for another, less difficult one (maybe just 500 pieces instead of 1,000).

But I know we'll get through this and end result will be beautiful... just like a puzzle.