What piece is missing?

Everything's falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word. 
   Festoon me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules.  My life is as close as my own hands, but I don't forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don't swerve an inch from your course. 

(Psalm 119:107-110 The Message)

Some days are just better than others!  In the passage of time, there are moments we'd like to "erase" from our memory, others we hope to hold onto forever.  It is "one of those days" for David - - things are just not going well for him.  He describes it well:  "EVERYTHING's falling apart on me!"  In another translation, this says, "Lord, I have suffered for a very long time..."  He's ready for this chapter of his life to be closed and a new one to be written!

In "rough patches" of life, we often cry out for deliverance long before we cry out for God to teach us a lesson in the rough place!  We want our "comfort" restored.  Look at what David has come to pray, "Put me together again with your Word."  He doesn't pray for deliverance - - he prays for sustenance!  

My grandsons got their favorite gifts this Christmas - Legos!  My oldest indulged his Gramma with the privilege of sitting with me while we built one of the sets together.  In the process, we shared the work of building it.  I would read the pattern, place the blocks as they should be on one side of the project, while he placed them in mirror fashion on the other.  It made the project go a little easier for both of us - - he had someone help him interpret the instructions; I had someone following my lead.  In the end, we had an airplane, radar tower, vehicle, and various other "airport" devices.

God works this way sometimes - - he places the pieces together in keeping with the principles of his Word, making his Word come alive in the process.  In the "mirroring" of what he is fashioning in our lives through the revelation of his Word, we "see" the pieces of life take form.  In the end, we realize the results of the "work" occurring within the passage of time.  

At the end of the day, those tiny arms curling around my neck, the tiny voices uttering, "I love you, Gramma!", and the sweet smile on their faces make all the hours of "building" worthwhile.  God feels the same about us!  At the end of the day, he rejoices in our praise, delights in our reaching, and relishes our "I love you's".  

The day will deal us stuff that we don't want to face - - but when we look to the one who knows how to put all the pieces together, mirroring his work carefully each step of the way, we do more than "make it through".  We are "sustained"!  We are supported, born up, and kept going until the final work is done within us!  Don't take your eyes off the one doing the building in your life - - mirror his steps.  In the end, you will finish well!