Are there jigsaw puzzles in heaven?

So who the heck is watching over me? Are there jigsaw puzzles in heaven? Too many distractions up there keeping my angels busy? I’m not sure how else to explain the complete lack of assistance I got controlling mother nature recently. Unless all of my angels are up there laughing at me – and I think that would be worse! I was less than 5 minutes away from having our 20’x10’ pool completely drained & towel dried, disassembled and ready to bring indoors for the season when the rain hit. This is the second time I’ve completely dried it this fall. I had Colleen and Christopher out helping me take the pool apart as fast as we could because I knew rain was forecast in a few hours. The sky wasn’t that cloudy, I had done my weather homework. You know how sometimes you feel a drop or two and then you get a gradual build up to a gentle rain? Or you know how sometimes the rain is warm and feels healing and soothing? Well…this was neither of those…it started as an instant burst of a cold downpour. At the point it dumped on us we had already taken out three of the four long support beams (Colleen & Christopher were holding each end up of the heavy last side) so there was no way I could set the pool back up to easily dry it again. I only needed 5 minutes to be all done. That’s all. This was the start of four straight days of rain…followed by cold Minnesota weather.

I should have at least three angels looking after me. I can understand how God is too busy to focus on everyone and to worry about little problems but what else do Katherine and Grandma & Grandpa T have to do up there? Finishing puzzles, going on bike rides, playing cards, and making fiber flowers & casseroles 😉 Help me out. Delay that rain just a few minutes. Create a dry pocket for me. Anything. A little help here. Are there rules for angel interventions? Do they only get a limited number? Do they have to learn how to use their powers? Do they save them for ‘signs’ versus actually helping us out? Can they team up and combine powers?

Or maybe I need to pay attention more. Maybe they help all the time and I’m too busy to notice. Or I don’t give them credit. Or I take countless mini-interventions for granted. Maybe they’re busy all day long saving me from car crashes, house fires and other life changing disasters. Maybe they’re helping out with an extended green traffic light every so often, or moving my car keys where I can easily find them. Maybe they helped me get to see one of my Make-A-Wish children one last time before he died. Maybe it was my angels who helped us when Megan started choking recently while we were out to dinner (I think my heart has finally settled back into a normal rhythm a few weeks later). Life gets so busy it’s sadly way too easy to miss these every day blessings.

Or maybe they’re watching and deciding not to jump in so that maybe one day I’ll learn once and for all not to sweat the small stuff. They’re giving me ongoing reminders about what really matters and doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Who cares about my frustrations with this silly pool? It is a fun memory with the kids while the rain dumped on us and I made them continue to stand there holding the ends of the pool regardless of the futility of the situation. We were soaked in a matter of seconds and laughing while daddy was helpless against the rain.

Maybe they can’t change the course of things but instead can use their powers to send signs. And maybe I’m too busy to notice these too. Or I’m waiting for something so grand and life-changing that I’m missing minor miracles every day. Maybe someday this will all make sense to me. Or maybe not. Until then I’ll continue to wait for that special day when the orchid in my office blooms again and I find the last state quarter to fill my collector book.

“Help me today to enjoy every moment. No matter what I deal with today help me to walk with a smile and enjoy this moment. This time and this day. I will never see it again. I will be thankful!” -DL Watson

4 Responses to “Are there jigsaw puzzles in heaven?”

  1. Uncle Dan says:

    I need to apologize bro. That day it rained on you I was using our angels to give me a sign on which T-shirt to wear that day. It was important stuff. Bet you didn’t think of that option…that I just keep them busy all day every day giving me signs. Seriously though, you put a lot of the thoughts I’ve thought before into words very well. Though I never thought she was doing puzzles up there.

  2. Dave says:

    Too funny. That’s awesome – did you end up going with “I’m with Stupid” or your Spam shirt that day? Why bother buying a magic 8-ball when we’ve got angels!!!

    I just remembered that sometime last year we were trying to leave the house & had everybody in the car and we couldn’t find the keys. I was in the house alone at that point and very frustrated yelled something like, “Katherine, if you’re up there show me the keys!”…and they turned up right away. Guess you were already dressed that day, huh?

  3. Dad & Grandpa T says:

    No wonder I don’t get help finding parking spaces or where I parked the car – you two have your sister busy doing trivial things like helping pick out T-shirts and finding your car keys. Maybe the day with the pool there were two looking down on you laughing. You didn’t mention where Christopher was. Was he looking out from upstairs laughing and watching the three of you get soaked? If Katherine was watching (and not intervening) maybe she had a good laugh as well. I know we can all hear her laugh. Maybe she even made a little snort while she was laughing. On the other hand, maybe the heavy rain was tears from heaven letting you know how much Katherine misses all of us too.

    You raised some good questions. If she does find time for puzzles, I’m sure there aren’t many among her who can do them as well. I like to think she is busy doing things much more important, like you mentioned later in your blog. I guess we never know when we may be getting help from above, although I can think of times in my life when I feel that there was definitely help from above.

    If Katherine does help pick out T-shirts, she must have been busy when you chose the Kidd Rock T-shirt for me. I hope you won’t mind, but someday it may be re-gifted. Mom won’t let me wear it or donate it. What size does Christopher wear??

    When we had King Kone Grandma and Grandpa did help me keep track of the weather. Although I listened to local weather reports to help determine how much product to order, I found a call to Indiana to be as helpful as any source. Their weather was usually a day or two away from us. Next time you do your pool or need to know the weather for sure, you should contact someone to your west to see what weather they are having – although keep in mind, as they say – “it doesn’t rain the same everywhere.” Have you heard of CoCoRaHs? That might be an interesting way you and your kids (in your spare time) can keep track of local precipitation better. Maybe I should get a rain gauge and join also.

    Keep looking for signs and seeking help from above. Whether it’s from Katherine or not, it’s good to keep open to ways big and small that God is part of our lives.

    I liked that quote you shared by DL Watson. How true!

  4. Dave says:

    So many good comments – so true. CoCoRaHS??? I had to look that one up – with a name like that how can they go wrong 😉

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