I have never been good putting together jigsaw puzzles. My mind just doesn't work that way. Now, I can assemble those little 7 piece children's puzzles, usually, but my wife likes to do those 1000 piece ones. Every summer my family goes to the beach on vacation and Donna always takes a few of those 1000 piece ones that drive me nuts. During the process I can never figure out how to put even one single piece into. It could be the "attention deficit blessing" way my mind works, but never the less, I am jigsaw puzzle assemblage deficient!
So, every time, every single time, when she is midway through painstakingly fitting one piece next to the other ones, I sneak off with a piece of the puzzle and hide it. Then, at the end, when the puzzle needs the missing piece to complete it, Donna realizes once again that I have the missing piece. I take great delight in completing the puzzle I exerted absolutely no energy in assembling.
A 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle is virtually worthless when it has but 999 pieces assembled together. The picture is incomplete even though 99.9% of it is there. That one piece completes the puzzle and then, and only then is there any satisfaction in putting it together because then the picture is complete.
Jesus tells of a woman who had ten silver coins that reveals the heart of God. If you study the coins you find out that they aren't worth that much, but they were worth a lot to her. The story goes that she lost one of the coins and so she turned her household upside down until she found it. The text says; "And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which was lost'" (Luke 15:9).
I love that. Every single piece is important to Him. Ninety nine percent just won't do. The minute He finds the missing piece Jesus wants to throw a great celebration with HIs friends and neighbors. All heaven rejoices when the missing piece is found and added to the picture. That piece alone completes the whole and only then does the one who is putting together the puzzle rest and find fulfillment. Thats the way the Lord feels about you. You are the missing piece!