We started a puzzle on a Saturday morning.
I took a break after my third cup of coffee and my first mug of hot cocoa of 2026.
He remained at the table as the sun took its afternoon position, brightening the window, making the puzzle pieces appear to glow.
Instrumental jazz piped through the speakers like poetry.
His back was shadowed, but his mustard sweater warmed in the front as well as his green flannel lounge pants. Even his old grey slippers appeared less tired and a bit magical.
Humphrey Bogart, the Siamese cat, slept in a patch of light under the table, only waking when petted — his eyes bluer than the January sky.
Dishes were stacked in the sink; laundry overflowed in the bin.
Traffic could be heard just outside the door; social media was even busier on the phone left in the other room.
He had not done a puzzle in over 30 years, he told me. Yet, he appeared as content as the cat and as peaceful as the music.
Being still and unhurried in thought or action is an exercise of intentionality, and many are unpracticed.
Curious, when not encumbered, how far clarity can take us… our bones ache a little from the weight of rest; muscles and minds stretch a bit further.
If taking a moment to pause distraction can help slow heart rates and see the puzzle pieces more clearly, enabling us to connect what needs to be connected, what deeper and wider clarity and connections can be gleaned by being still for God?
“Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10).
Many make resolutions this time of year. However, when formulating our vision for 2026, we must consider both design and designer.
Experience has bestowed many lessons, one of which is the perpetual pattern of humankind either fighting for God or fighting to be god.
Warriors and wars have birthed from such pursuits, and, at times, we forget who has the ultimate authority.
We have been trained in an overstimulated world to be easily distracted, discouraged, and agitated. As such, focusing on the latest noise positioned in front of us, we can fail to give gravitas to the great deceiver: Satan.
“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him,” Revelation 12:9.
It is good to remember that Satan is restricted to Earth, but as Believers, we have, through Christ’s sacrifice, access to the presence of a devoted and mighty God, who knows no limits.
This, in part, is what separates gods from God: the presence of holy, divine, unmerited love and sovereignty.
We are closest to God when we have humble adoration of Him and pursue His will before our willfulness.
Yet, we are prone to offering offense before submission and self before sacrifice.
We are capable of relying less and less on communion with God until we are desperate, then that’s all we seek — healing, hope, redemption, acceptance, purpose, and peace — puzzle pieces that only fit together as intended when we trust God with the final picture.
As we establish our 2026 vision, may we go big — all in — with God, trusting Him not only to lead the way but also to use our faith, praise, time, and talents to blaze a trail that honors Him and is worth following.
This column was initially published by CherryRoad Media. For more inspirational articles, follow ©Tiffany Kaye Chartier.