Where were we?
Oh yes, Puzzles:
Once you´ve found the "easier pieces" of the puzzle, the farm house & the flowers and bushes, you are left with the harder part. The Sky! Every pieve is the same: Baby blue and they all have 2 ´arms´ and one hole and so there is no way in telling which is where! This is where Patience is a virture.........
The Picture is Clearer than is ever has been and closest to being complete!
Never give up! because the other option is Quit. Quitting does not mean leaving your puzzle (testimony) where it is.... if you´re not working to go UP hill... pretty soon you start rolling down.
Because you became impatient with the sky you start to take apart your puzzle and put it away! first you take apart sky pieces... then the outline edges and then pretty soon the "easiest" and simplest parts of your testimony, the flowers and bushes.... scripture study and church attendance... until you reach THE most OBVIOUS sure parts of your testimony... the BIG RED BARN in the middle. When you fit those together there was NO doubt. You KNEW it was right: "God is my loving Heavenly Father and He hears and answers my prayers".
You take that apart.
You put your puzzle away....
You start thinking "puzzles are for Losers"
My puzzle is Extra hard and it´s been forever since I even tried and the box is dusty now... lets just act like I never did or had a Puzzle.
And maybe every once in a while you pull out the box and go directly back to the sky pieces but since you still can´t quite figure them out you get discoraged or even angry again and put your puzzle aside once more.
You see what I meant about the bomb that self-destructs. Satan didnñt just slowly destroy your Testomony, but he´s knocked you down and is KEEPING you down with this trick.
PLEASE please, DO NOT fall of it!
but,
If by chance you already have, here is my suggestion and the beauty of the repentace process the atonement makes possible:
Dust off your Puzzle Box and, as always, (re)start with the outline
¿What is God´s Plan for me? ¿What are the promised blessings? Happy (not perfect, but happy) FAMILIES and Eternal ones at that! That is what I call JOY!
Meditate on WHY would you try your puzzle again. Realize it´s possible and worth it.
Once you have your outline once more, you know what the Church is centered around: Christ and how His atonement is essential and blesses families. Think about your family.
Do you love them?
Is it worth it to keep going on your puzzle if finishing it meant having them FOREVER?
Now that you have your outline and motivation, DON´T go straint back for the sky pieces. They will discorage you to stop before you´ve started again! Put the basics back it place and make the "sky mystery" easier on yourself with the help of a firm foundation. If not all your pieces will get mixed up and it´ll be a hot mess I assure you.
May I suggest a starting point. It is an OBVIOUS big RED FARM HOUSE right in the Center of your whole puzzle.
God is your loving Heavenly Father. He hears and answers your prayers. He loves you.
Start there.
Start praying. Re-connect what you once knew.
After you confirm the above listed facts, then go with the flowers and bushes (scripture study and church attendance)... then move on the other things... piket fences... cows... etc.
It is hard, for everyone, it is hard. It´s really hard for me. I see the picture on my box ALL the time and i get so frusterated that my puzzle isn´t complete yet!
But this won´t make me quit.
My Puzzle.... my Testimony, is the most important Task in my life, The picture it presents changes how I see Everything, but it´s still hard.
Satan does not want me to feel God´s love. Satan does not want me to have a testimony. So He attacks testimonies, to keep them from being planted or to kill what is growing.
But I know His tools and will not give up. The Grand Gardener is on my side and wants me to make it back to Him.
He sent me His son to show me what to do to keep assembling my puzzle. He sends me prophets and leaders to keep my SPIRIT up (spiritual puzzle Cheerleaders?).
And best of all he sent me my Family.
"God gave us families, to help us to be what he wants us to be, This is how he shows his love, For the Family is of God"
So be brave my fellow Puzzlers
Puzzle On! (Or Puzzle once more for Restarters)
Never give up, Never surrender.
Everything will be alright!
As for my week, same old.... it´s hot and we talk to people about Jesus and His Gospel. I´ve been in Paraguay 9 months today and... it only going to get hotter.
XOXO
Hermana Valenzuela
