The puzzle isn’t complete without you! There is space and a place for you.

We are often plagued with the question of “where do I fit in?” and it tends to pop up when we are going through a difficult time. We question our mere existence because we are unable to process the hardship and the pain; the heartbreak, the disappointments, the failures. It is when we are at our lowest, we ask why me and what purpose do I serve? Some of us go even a step further and question God's intention behind our creation, if suffering and pain are our true purpose and where we fit in.

We are all familiar with the jigsaw puzzle, a tiling game that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture. The same can be said for our lives, each aspect (family, friends, work, relationships etc) represents puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together and paints a bigger picture of us as a whole. Similar to putting a jigsaw puzzle together, we may try to fit a piece and realize that it doesn’t fit or we ponder about a particular piece being related to the puzzle. We either discard the piece entirely or put it aside for later. The same can be said with our lives, sometimes a job may not fit, relationships may not work out or a friend no longer align with your perspective. You are tempted to disregard, discard and dismantle those aspects not realizing that those pieces are necessary to your growth and development. In a jigsaw puzzle every piece is needed to complete the art and similarly, every aspect of our lives fits in where it is supposed to be. Each piece has its place and space, and the puzzle just isn’t complete without them. Life will throw everything at us and we may feel worthless, underserving and irrelevant but like the jigsaw puzzle the world Is not complete without you. Each of us has a place and space and we help to complete the whole picture.

We are all part of God’s plan, an intentional plan that saw you being created from an egg, carried in your mother’s womb destined for your created purpose. God never makes mistakes and thus you are not a mistake no matter what your circumstances and feelings dictate. He considers your purpose and contribution to be valuable and necessary. God loves you and wants you to walk out in his plan. Yes, even the difficult times are part of his plan. Even the hard times are intentional because he uses your most stressful situations to define and highlight your purpose. He reinforces your importance not only to you but to the world.

Isn’t it funny that we readily believe in others but have a hard time believing in ourselves? We fit others into various aspects of our lives, but we are quick to question and doubt our place and purpose.  The very things I despised about myself and life growing up have molded me into the person I am today. The trials and the triumphs, the screams of agony and shouts of victory, the tears of sadness and the laughter of happiness have shaped me into the formidable force I am today. They all had a place and served a purpose just like I have a place and I serve a purpose in this world. I fit in exactly where I should be.

So be encouraged today and take comfort in the knowledge that God created you for a purpose. Your perspective, your experience, your uniqueness—it’s all for a purpose! So embrace the fact that God is crazy about you, he believes in you, and he has a specific plan designed that only you are equipped enough to fulfill! You were created on purpose for a purpose, so own it!