Prayer Puzzles

The 75% off sale at Barnes and Noble got me. It sucked me into the possibility of buying gifts for considerably less than I could buy them anywhere else. And so I bought. Books. Bud vases. Games. Puzzles. Mugs. Cups. And more.

I’m planning to keep most of the gifts for special occasions: birthdays, beginning of the school year,anniversaries, Christmas, etc. I’ve even updated my “Gifts Purchased But Not Yet Given” spreadsheet so that I won’t forget what I have to give.

But I’ve already given away one of the gifts and prepared another for the giving. My friend Ke is the recipient of both of these gifts because they are butterfly themed and butterflies mean a lot to her. They are a symbol of transformation and hope for what it is to come.

The first gift was a cup. She lit up when I gave it to her. She asked me to place it where she could see it and declared that she was going to use it.

The second gift is a puzzle. My aunt, mom, and I began putting it together last Tuesday night, and my mom and I finished it Sunday morning at 2:10am. My mom declares I wouldn't let her go to bed, but I think she willingly stayed. Puzzles can suck you in! I literally slept, ate, and worked on the puzzle all day Saturday. Nothing else. And with each piece of the puzzle, I prayed for Ke so that when the puzzle was complete it was full of both beauty and prayer. Now, we only must glue it before presenting it to Ke.

I’ve heard of a wide variety of prayers groups. Of quilting groups, crocheting and knitting groups, blanket-making groups, and others. Yet I’ve never heard of a puzzle group. But why not? Why not choose a specific puzzle for someone who needs prayer—something that holds meaning for the future recipient or something generic if the intended recipient is unknown? Why not gather together a group of persons to work together to create something beautiful—to fellowship together in community while forming a tangible prayer? What’s more? You don’t have to be crafty whatsoever to put together a puzzle. Puzzle making uses different skills than crafting—different parts of the brain—and so it could reach a different demographic of people.

I’m away in the mountains this week. I’m acting as chaperone and worship leader for a 3rd-6thgrade children’s camp. I can’t do anything more with the puzzle while I’m away, yet every time I close my eyes, I see the beautiful picture prayer that my aunt, mom, and I worked together to create—often giving each other a high-five when we finally placed a piece—and I smile…knowing that it was pieced together with prayer and love for a friend whose life has deeply blessed my soul.