This was written a few short weeks before Billy's death.


by Eddy Luckie

My dad has always loved to put together jigsaw puzzles.  Unlike me, he has the patience to actually sit down and put one of these together.  In fact, for him it seems like the more pieces the better.  The picture to the left is of a jigsaw puzzle that was started by my dad just before he went into the hospital in May.  It still sits on the card table in the guest room at my parents’ house and we hope there will come a day that he will have the chance to sit down in there and finish that puzzle. 

Over the last few weeks as we have gone on what seems like a perpetual rollercoaster with my dad’s health I have often thought about this unfinished puzzle.  My earthly father had the ability to initiate putting together the pieces of that puzzle and if his health ever allows it, he will have the ability to complete it one day.  However, the puzzle that his own health and life has become is not one he initiated and certainly not one that he has the ability to piece together.  It does not matter that he is a great husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend or that he has great skills and abilities or even that he has the patience to put together a jigsaw puzzle. Despite all that is good and decent about him he has no control of the puzzle that his life is right now. 

That unfinished jigsaw puzzle in their guest room has actually become a great picture of God’s sovereignty in our lives.  Our Heavenly Father has the ability to put together all of the pieces and to put them in the perfect order that He has ordained them.  He does not need to look at a picture to see what the puzzle looks like because He is the Creator of all things including the life of my dad and each one of us.  In fact, the puzzle is not really a puzzle to God; it is going to be the perfection of His perfect will and plan in our lives and in my dad’s life. 

Many years ago as a very young man my dad made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into his life as Lord and Savior.  He placed his faith in Christ knowing that Christ is the author and finisher of the faith of all of those who accept Him.  To us our lives do appear to be a lot like that unfinished puzzle.  It is often puzzling to us what God has in store for our lives.  However, we know that in the end all the pieces will fit together. 

I do not know if we will ever see my dad’s hands finish the puzzle in this picture.  We will leave it there for him and hope that one day he will.  However, there is one thing I do know… It is an absolute guarantee that in the end, whatever happens to my dad will be the direct results of the Hands of God in his life putting together the pieces in the perfect way.

I don't imagine that Dad knew he would be teaching us such a lesson when he started that puzzle, but I am very glad he did.

Thanks Pops for helping me put together the pieces of my own faith in God…I Love You!