Nodding His head slowly side to side God answered, “No, I really don’t remember those times.  Perhaps they were before you asked me to forgive your sins.  If they were before then that is why I have forgotten them.  Something about being as far as the east is from the west.”

This response stunned the man.  He wondered to himself, “Could God really forget my moments of failure, my lapses in morals, my blown opportunities to love?”

Suddenly beginning to quiver the man somewhat wobbly stood in silence.  He lowered his head and the volume of his voice, “I can’t help you.”

God replied, “Let Me be the judge of that!”

To be continued…

The thought had never occurred to the man to ask for help.  Yes, he thought to ask for help whenever a crisis happened, whenever the challenge or trouble seemed too big for him to carry or endure.  This task did not seem hard; it just seemed too beautifully intricate.

He looked once again into the face of God.  He searched to find the answer, the absolute answer that would explain to him how he could do it on is own.  From deep within him came this need, maybe even a compulsion, to figure it out so that he could understand it.

“But how can I do this?  How can I succeed in putting together in just the right way this puzzle of my life?” he asked.

Once again God smiled that paternally loving way that only He can.  From His eyes could be seen that unusual mix of love, wonderment, urging, and strength.  The man was moved by these eyes to listen very, very intently and intentionally.

“We can do it.  Together we can take these many and intricate pieces and create this beautiful picture of what your life can be.”

“But God,” the man replied, “why do you need me?  In all of your power and all of your wisdom, why would you ever need me to work with you?”

Lifting His eyebrows, God asked, “Why not?”

The man stammered out in response, “Well, because you are all knowing and know everything that I have ever done, that’s why I don’t understand why you would even want to work with me.  You know all the times I made poor decisions, spoke cruel words, and purposely avoided doing the loving thing.”

         The Puzzle Box—Part 2

                 by Pastor Dave Bassett

March 2008 — Issue #1

Special points of interest:

· The Puzzle Box—2

        by Pastor Dave Bassett

· Are You Discouraged?

        by Judy Bassett

· Stewardship of Your Work—Introduction

by Pastor Dave Bassett