God, I want to complain
that the second-hand puzzle
I got at the church fair
has three pieces missing
(like lots of other things
I’ve received from the church
over the years).
It didn’t undo the pleasure
of putting in all the other pieces,
and I can see clearly
what the picture is intended to be.
My spring is missing
so many pieces.
Our congregational experience
is missing so many pieces.
My friend’s life is missing
years we thought she would have,
and we would have.
Also, I guess you noticed —
my sermon is going to be full of holes.
As you have blessed all the puzzles
we hold in our hands,
and the pleasure we take
in fitting pieces of life together,
bless the imagination
that must fill in what is missing,
chuckle with us
at our expecting perfection,
and touch with your holy hand
our own unique edges
as we look for our place.
Maren C. Tirabassi’s most recent book is A Child Laughs: Prayers of Justice and Hope and she blogs at giftsinopenands at wordpress dot com She’s a United Church of Christ pastor and a writer, quilter, puzzler, lover of beagles.
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