First Things First

The image of a jigsaw puzzle helps to develop a little more the idea of what life is about. Each individual piece plays an invaluable role. There are no substitutes. There is no understudy to replace me in life. We collaborate as co-creators with God by ‘selving’, owning who we are and, in that way we facilitate the completion of the jigsaw with our own unique contribution, as God had hoped for. It’s only when all the pieces come together that the New Jerusalem, the new order of creation, will be established. While the kingdom of God is in our midst, it’s awaiting completion. We’re not passive recipients in God’s eyes. God needs each one of us to play the part assigned to us, by being who we are, faithful to our true selves. That’s why it’s so important to get in touch with what really makes us tick.

Excerpted from Pathways to a Decision with Ignatius of Loyola  by Jim Maher SJ (p.24)