Knitting & Jesus

New Things:

I learned how to spin yarn by hand with a drop spindle. The lady's sheep, Elphaba, lovingly donated her wool for me to learn on. After 4 days and a few youtube videos later, I now have a ball of yarn that I spun, dried, made into a skein and then finally, a centerpull ball. I even started knitting with it tonight. It's special so I need something special to make it into.

I've been reading books by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee about knitting. They are hysterical. I sit by myself reading them and laugh out loud. If anyone were around (and couldn't see the book) they'd think I was a crazy woman. Even non-knitters laugh. Ask my mom and Chris; I made them listen to me read excerpts from "Free Range Knitter" and "At Knit's End" for much longer than I'm sure they wanted.

I rushed through my homework to go to bed but instead I got on here (after facebook of course, the eternal enemy of homework everywhere)

I love how God is laying out my life like a stitch on a knitting needle. Without each and every 20,000 stitches in that handmade sock, it wouldn't be complete. It would leave feet cold instead of warm, it would fit the wrong size foot, or maybe it'd be an ill fitting tube with no heel turn. (How nerdy do I sound right now, seriously?) If the artist didn't take time to lovingly create each stitch just the way it intended, it's purpose would be compromised. I just finished making a "neck warmer" from the book AlterKnits....anyways, I bought beautiful dark purple Alpaca bulky yarn to make this treasure for myself. Anyways, I kept messing up the: Rows 1-6 garter, Rows 7-10 Stockinette" So I kept pulling it out and starting again.

I kind of feel like rather than the creator making the mistake, it's as if the knitting was undoing itself or messing up. That's how I feel in God's hands sometimes. I know that every part is working for good, but sometimes I make God have to teach me the same lesson over and over again (knit the same stupid 1-6, 7-10 over and over) because it is treasure- it needs to be right, to fulfill it's purpose. God patiently goes back with me to the place where the error occurred and leads me lovingly, stitch by stitch, to the place he wants me to be.

Sometimes it seems like God makes holes on purpose....but until a few rows have passed and the button is sewn on, you realize that "mistake" was really a button hole. No button hole, no button, no warm neck, purpose not fulfilled.

It's in those times when I have to trust that the holes God is leaving really are just buttonholes and I need to trust Him and wait however long it takes before the button he chose gets sewn on and I can see and trust that He knew what he was doing all along!

Jesus, thankyou for making me unique and special. Thankyou for taking the time to craft me into something beautiful, time consuming and hand-made. Thank you that you love me because your hands have crafted me into exactly the way you want. You, Sweet Savior, unlike me, do not make mistakes. The holes I see are button holes. The twists I see as mistakes are cables. The decreasing I see as dropped stitches are really part of your plan to lovingly shape me into the Beloved I am in Your eyes. I can't see it all the time, but You truly are good and I really can trust you.

Thank you for giving me all these silly knitting references to help understand a God that is much bigger than me, but still looks me in the face and tells me He loves me. I am not too small for You, Jesus. I am known by You, and that is enough.

I love You, Jesus.

P.s, Lord, be with Abby. We love her, don't we, Lord? :)