"I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

What began as an art worship project has become a visual reminder of one of my favorite God-promises for my life. When I read this verse for the first time, I imagined a table with a huge puzzle on it, and God as the man worthy of the challenge. I envisioned him taking his arm and swiping it across the table-- sending each and every piece flying into oblivion. Then, in an incredible act of humility and love, He gets down on his knees, and collects each and every last piece that he had sent askew.

In my original depiction, I labeled every puzzle piece with a noun, adjective, or struggle that is/was applicable to my life. The promise that every hard or sad piece has been labeled a specific way, for a purpose (because HE banishes us; HE carries us into exile), and then is so carefully & thoughtfully gathered to bring us back out of captivity, is so encouraging and uplifting. It hardly eases the painful memories that some pieces bring, but it gives me comfort to know that God put that piece there for a reason, and though my life seemed to be completely askew at the time, it was never out of His control. The bigger picture never left his sight.

Thank you Lord, for being sovereign. Thank you for collecting us, piece by piece, from all the places you have scattered us. Thank you for putting us back together and making us whole.