You know those gigantic 5,000 piece puzzles, the ones that take A LOT of time to complete?
Well, I think ministry is a lot like trying to put one of those puzzles together.
In the past month, I have seen a lot of things happen in two different congregations. I have been witness to God working on the hearts of people in this place. And I have been blessed to be a leader in getting new ministry programs up and running, with more in the works, and even more that we are dreaming about!
Throughout all of this, I keep coming back to the image of a puzzle.
The way I was taught to do puzzles, was to start with the edge-pieces…the boundaries and structure. Well, in ministry, it is good start to by building a structure or some type of system. It is important to have a solid support system in place before trying to build on top of it. If you do not have the system in place, it’s going to make it that much harder to build on top of it, because you have nothing to guide you.
The next part of the puzzle are the middle pieces. And this is the hard part because when they are all jumbled together in the box, a lot of them look a like. So, if you do puzzles as I do, you go to the picture on the box…and stare at it…for hours! Why does one stare at the picture, so they know where to start or go next. What is the end result we are trying to accomplish here?
In ministry, you to need to know what that “end” result is that you are trying to get to. So, you add more structure in the form of mission statements, purpose statement, and goals. You also spend time in prayer, in the Word, and seeking God’s direction for this ministry. Because, let’s face it, without Him it is pointless to continue. He is going to be the one that gets us to that “end” goal.
Then, after one has sufficiently taken the picture on the box in, you start trying to make sense of all those pieces!
After you have spent time planning and building and talking and praying, you jump in. You get your feet dirty and you start to put all that planning into practice.
But then, you hit a wall. You may have found a pair here or there that fits together, but it’s time to go back to that box and see if you can figure out any specific details to look for in the puzzle pieces you’ve found.
In ministry, too, we hit walls. We go back to that drawing board. We spend time seeking God’s will for this ministry. We evaluate our goals and may even change a few, because sometimes you just have to change your approach in how you’re doing things, especially if they aren’t working!!
Once you have found a few details, you go back to your box of pieces, this time looking for a specific corner’s worth of pieces that are just a little different from all the rest…in color, in pattern or design. You begin to have some more success.
Now that you have re-evaluated everything, you have a new plan of attack in your ministry. You begin to see things fall into place and people begin to get excited. As you continue to seek God in the midst of it, your eyes are opened to new changes that have happened and the way He is working in the midst of what feels like chaos.
After working on the puzzle for this long, you may have a friend come join you. (I always like putting puzzles together friends better than by myself anyway!) Pieces you may not have seen fit together before are found by the friend and the work becomes easier!
More and more people are excited about the ministry and are jumping on board to help! Things start moving even faster. New ideas are coming up and things continue to change and move.
At this point with a 5,000 piece puzzle you may need to step away for a little while. When you stare at it for that long, your head may start to spin! (I know mine does!!)
At this point with ministry too, you may need a break. There are others who have stepped in and can carry it without you needing to be there. You may need to be refreshed…to rest. This may happen through a significant time away doing something else. It may be a weekend ministry conference. It might be a night off and conversation with a friend. It may be a personal retreat spent alone with your Father. It will include, however, God filling you in some way.
After your break (and maybe a snack), you are able to come back to your puzzle with new eyes. You see things fit together. The big picture is forming and you are excited to dive back in and finish it!
After some rest, you are able to come back to ministry with new eyes too. You also may see the big picture forming and changing and building and growing. This is exciting!
And now the puzzle is finished! All 5,000 tiny pieces are in place! And you celebrate!
Here is where the analogy slightly differs…while a specific aspect of the ministry you are involved with may be completed, ministry is never finished. We are to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19) until Christ returns! But, we do get to celebrate the ministry that is happening and it is good to do so!
Finally, why would one do a puzzle that is 5,000 pieces to begin with? Honestly, I don’t know. Possibly because they enjoy the challenge or seeing the finished product.
But, why does one do ministry? Because we are called and commanded by God to do so! He knows the “big picture” for this life and we, as Christians, are to serve and obey Him in all that we do.
JoyfullyDancingDaughter 