I love to sew. Years ago I sewed every chance I got. I got away from it some as I got older and I’ve recently picked it back up. I’ve been making various small items, such as pot holders, place mats, cup holders, etc.
So today I hopped on the internet and looked up a pattern for an idea that I had and sure enough, I found one. I cut everything out according to the dimensions given and proceeded to choose fabric from my ever-growing pile of scraps. I was excited to make this item and chose just the right materials and colors that I had envisioned to complete it and make it look FAB! I got all my pieces cut out and began assembling. Everything went according to plan, until……
I came down to putting on the “finishing touches”. So far I’d been very pleased with my color choices, fabric blends, choice of decorative stitching, sewing abilities, and the like. But when it came to putting on the edging…well, all “H”, “E”, “double L” broke loose.
They say (I still haven’t figured out who “they” is) that if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And I did try, try again. Again, and again. And again. And again! No matter what I did I couldn’t create that item to my liking, the beautiful picture that I had envisioned in my dreams. Just days before, I had made something, and though I was alone in the house, as I held up the finished product to admire, I spoke right out loud, “LOVE! Love, love, love it!” And I did too. I was delighted with what I had created.
But…back to today. Gone was the picture in my mind of the beautiful creation. It had been replaced by a scene from the movie, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, starring Jim Carey. In this scene the Grinch is standing high upon his mountain top home, far above Whoville. He is holding a book, a roster of all the Whoville citizens. He points to a page and speaks out a couple of names and says that he hates them. As he continues to point at more and more names, he says, “hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Double hate! LOATHE!!!!”
Yes, that was me. That is exactly what I thought about my creation! And I held it up and said it, right out loud, all by myself in the house, just like I was in my right mind. “hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Double hate! LOATHE!!!!”
Suddenly, my thoughts turned to the Lord. I began to recall Genesis 1, the story of God’s creation. The entire chapter, thirty one verses, talk about His creation; everything that he made. And each thing that God created, the scripture says, “and God saw that it was good.” I then thought of Psalm 139:14, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. I began to see more clearly. God created me. Did I come with flaws? Yes. Imperfections? Yes. Yet, I knew then and there in my heart that when He created me he looked at me “and saw that it was good.”
Oh, that I would grow in maturity. That His life would manifest more and more through me. That my thoughts would become His thoughts. That my ways would become His ways. That His life and light would be the reason why I live, and move, and have my being. That there would be less of me and more of Him than there was yesterday, and not as much as there will be tomorrow.
To God be the glory. He alone is my hope.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)