When I was a little girl, I loved putting puzzles together. I’d see the beautiful picture on the box and couldn’t wait to create the masterpiece myself. But after opening it and seeing the overwhelming number of pieces that needed to be put together, the fun quickly became daunting. With every momentary inability to find the correct pieces to connect, discouragement set in. Many times, I didn’t have the patience to persevere to the end. If it was a small puzzle, I’d usually stick with it. However, any puzzle that required resilience and time, created a lot of frustration causing me to simply walk away, leaving behind scattered pieces that didn’t make sense.

The book of Ruth in the Bible is a very small, yet profound story filled with lessons for us today. It reads like a novel or blockbuster movie, with twists and turns that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The story opens up with a Jewish family, Elimelech and his wife Naomi along with their two sons, Mahlon and Chillion, who were forced from their home in Bethlehem due to a deadly famine. They ended up living in Moab for 10 years, displaced from their home. During their time in Moab, Mahlon and Chillion married two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. After tragedy struck the family when Elimelech died in Moab, both Mahlon and Chillion died as well. This left Naomi and her two daughter-in-law’s alone. Not surprisingly, Naomi became bitter. At every turn, all she knew was famine, tragedy, displacement and death. She decided to return to Bethlehem and tried to convince Ruth and Orpah to stay in Moab so they could rebuild their lives and have a chance at happiness. Although Orpah decided to stay, Ruth insisted on going with Naomi, boldly asserting, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you

In our world, we sometimes find ourselves surrounded by circumstances that don’t make sense, unable to dig ourselves out of the sinking sand of fear, worry and grief. Life can seem like a puzzle that never fully comes into focus or completion. We want to run from the reality of the scattered pieces of our lives on the floor, unable to muster up the strength to stick it out to the end. I’ve felt this way on several occasions – most people have.

Ultimately, Naomi and Ruth started their lives over in Bethlehem. Things turned around for them when Boaz, a wealthy and kind man married Ruth, redeeming both her and Naomi. Eventually, Ruth gave birth to a son, making Naomi a grandmother. The book ends with a stunning picture, “Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:16-17). Did you catch that? Naomi became the grandmother to king David.

By the time I was 16 years old, I had already experienced so much loss – the death of my mother, being abandoned by my biological father, running away from home, losing my friends and dropping out of high school. I became so discouraged and convinced myself I’d never accomplish anything. But God had other plans. Through my tears and anger, I found the strength to push forward in faith with God by my side. I started over. And as I did, everything fell into place. I enrolled back in high school, went to college, got married, went to law school and had a beautiful family. Life hasn’t been perfect and I’ve had some bumps and bruises along the way. But my puzzle has come together, revealing God’s plan and call upon my life. I recently ordered a puzzle with pictures that represent different moments in my life – times of struggle, fear, love, abundance and joy. Although there are still pieces left to be added, as each piece of my story falls into place, I can see how God’s plan for my life fits together in His time and is always perfect.

I’ve always been struck by the fact that if Naomi wouldn’t have let Ruth go with her back to her home in Bethlehem, God would have used someone else to accomplish His will. But she did let Ruth go with her. She did go back home and started over in the midst of seemingly insurmountable odds. Even through her anger and bitterness, Naomi pushed forward in faith and ended up stepping into her destiny. Even more profound is the fact that Jesus came from the line of David. I’m sure Naomi never imagined in her wildest dreams, that God himself would come from her family’s line. She went from a widow with no children, to the grandmother of a king.

When the puzzle isn’t coming together or you want to walk away because the pieces of your life seem in disarray, know that God sees the bigger picture. He lies outside of time and has an eternal perspective. He knows the beginning from the end and has the solution to your problem before you knew there was a problem to begin with. I’ve learned not everything that happens in this life is good. However, I’ve seen the truth of God’s word play out in my life time and time again: ^“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). When the walls are crashing in around you and you can’t see through your tears of doubt and worry, let God guide you through the storm as the pieces of your life beautifully fall into place. With each step of faith, everything will come together, bringing into focus a stunning story of joy, love and destiny.

Danielle Augustin inspires others to pursue their dreams and fulfill their God-given destiny. Married for over 26 years with four children, she has both heartwarming and painful experiences to share. Practicing law for nearly 20 years, first as a deputy district attorney, then as a founding partner at her private special education law firm, her perspective on the world around us is enlightening.  Danielle believes in the power of prayer and hopes to inspire others to consistently come into the presence of God, seeking His will for their lives. She is currently in her last year of seminary and will be receiving a Master of Arts in Theology in 2019. Danielle has a deep love for the Lord and desires to share the lessons she has learned with other women in order for their lives to be transformed, so that they too can walk in the full power of God and live a life of faith, purpose and joy.