{"id":96,"date":"2016-07-15T10:00:25","date_gmt":"2016-07-15T09:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/?p=96"},"modified":"2016-04-15T20:16:13","modified_gmt":"2016-04-15T19:16:13","slug":"is-life-a-tower-or-a-picture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/is-life-a-tower-or-a-picture\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Life a Tower or a Picture?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all prefer not to be the one in need, the one who is confused, or the one not managing well. When I<\/strong> need assistance, I feel the little tower of control topple beneath me. Sometimes it only takes a brick to be displaced and all my stability seems in jeopardy. It is a precarious way to live, and yet most of us build in this way. Everything gets assembled, from our self image and careers paths, to our friendships, interests and finances, brick by brick, all carefully stacked upwards.<\/p>\n

I believe we have this all wrong. The western ideas of individuality and progress leave us on unstable ground. What if life is more like a puzzle, with pieces of our lives linking together to form pictures and images? As one piece changes or disappears, our lives don’t collapse, we don’t become defeated or unstable. Instead, we discover that we are connected in a different way. New pictures emerge. And when we embrace brokenness in this way, we become softer, more malleable and aware of others. Now we no longer need to keep the tower stable. Now there is no tower, just a puzzle placed and made in a bed of grace.<\/p>\n

And if we are free\u00a0 to remake an area of our lives, or change a belief or understanding, then we can allow others the grace to do the same. Maybe our picture might mingle a little more, our lives affect and enhance others, and we would allow our ourselves to be changed too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all prefer not to be the one in need, the one who is confused, or the one not managing well. When I need assistance, I feel the little tower of control topple beneath me. Sometimes it only takes a brick to be displaced and all my stability seems in jeopardy. It is a precarious Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":97,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[13],"tags":[10,14],"class_list":["post-96","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reflections","tag-meditation","tag-reflection"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/MG_puzzle_600.jpg?fit=600%2C338&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7bKxI-1y","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":841,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/eternity-is-always-close\/","url_meta":{"origin":96,"position":0},"title":"Eternity Is Always Close","date":"March 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"As followers of Christ death is not something we avoid or ignore. 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When praying for our\u00a0city I once had a picture of golden threads, weaving their way through lives, criss-crossing areas and institutions, linking people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Prayer"","img":{"alt_text":"criss-crossing threads","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/MG_weaving_600.jpg?fit=600%2C338&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":565,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/harvest-prayer\/","url_meta":{"origin":96,"position":3},"title":"Harvest Prayer","date":"September 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Our lives go through many seasons, and there are times when it is natural and easy to be thankful at harvest time. 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I suppose I was searching, straining to see and connect with the world, and I found media to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reflections"","img":{"alt_text":"Old tv","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/MG_tv.jpg?fit=600%2C338&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":158,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/may-the-road-rise-up-to-meet-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":96,"position":5},"title":"May The Road Rise Up To Meet You","date":"August 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. 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