But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little cold will never enter it.”    (Luke 18:16-17) NIV

I love games and puzzles, so during this recent “time off” I decided to complete a crossword. I like doing them, so I got me something to drink and sat down to try to fill in the empty squares. Hmmm…a four-letter word meaning “endnotes.” I’d come back to that one. A ten-letter word describing “dinner-bell sequence.” I couldn’t even guess. At my house, I just say, “it’s ready,” and step aside. For an hour I deciphered definitions, even going through the alphabet letter by letter until I found the correct words. By the time all the squares were filled, I needed more to drink.

Sometimes, my life seems like a puzzle, packed with senseless bits and pieces that don’t appear to fit together. Solutions can shift from simple to complicated in an instant, leaving me confused and frustrated as I think, “Why has Jesus allowed this to happen to me?”
But I don’t need to understand the “why” behind His choices — that’s not what He’s teaching me. Instead, I’m here to learn trust, with a capital T. My daily, childlike dependence on Jesus pleases Him. When things go well, I can offer thanks, and when they don’t go well, I’ll cling to Him in faith. I know He’ll guide me until I finish this puzzle called life.
But for now, what’s a five-letter word for peace?   J.E.S.U.S.

Faith Step – Find a word puzzle. As you work on the confusing parts, remember that when life confounds you, you can trust Jesus to guide you through. He’s got you!