A bit about knitting

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

A bit about knitting

Before we get into the analogy we need to know a bit about knitting if you aren't familiar with terms.  Knitting, in a general sense,  is a piece worked with one piece of yarn stitched ( hooked) over itself over and over in a variety of ways. Most common stitches are: knit (new stitch added from the back of the loop) and purl (new stitch added from the front of the loop).  You can knit or purl stitches together (k2t, p2t) for design or strength to the piece.  You can also Slip a stitch over another loop and only that loop stays on the needle, leaving it as one stitch. We typically know how many stitches we are to have in a section of our needles, as you knit there are stitches that fall off your needle, from time to time and we say that we, "dropped a stitch somewhere" and go searching for it when our count is off.  If stitches are decreased through knitting or purling together or slipping a stitch, new stitches have to be added back in to keep the number of stitches right.  For the purposes of this blog piece that's all the further we are going, this isn't a knitting lesson. 

The Word in Colossians 2:2 tells us that our hearts are to be comforted, being knit together in love.  I guess I see our church body (local or globally) as that piece that is being worked.  God is knitting with His infinite yarn of love, perhaps we are the stitches, not just a stitch once but multiple times being knit in as HE uses us. 

At some point in the piece we were knit in or purled in, really doesn't matter - both are essential to the beauty of the piece.  There are times when we are knit together 2-6 of us experience something together that binds our hearts and we are all put into one stitch. A triumph or a tragedy,  both add a detail to His piece He is working.  These k2t or p2t then decrease the overall number of stitches in the piece, but God blesses that experience or grants mercy and grace and with that HE adds new stitches behind us to balance the piece again.  Perhaps others are used in His work or souls turn to Him, all these are new stitches. 

There are other times, for many reasons where a stitch comes off the needle.  Perhaps out of our rebellion or spiritual carelessness, could be many things, we don't end up on the needle. That particular stitch that was ours is dropped.  What happens to the piece? Does it go on into more beautiful rows?  no sign of the dropped stitch? no, there is a whole where that stitch is to be.

I placed a stitch holder on the dropped stitch. 

That stitch will continue to drop, down to the stitch that it was stitched upon.  The one pictured went about 3 rows. In our analogy, perhaps that stitch (person it came to) will catch it and hold it, or will not notice it and pretty soon that stitch is undone too (that use God intended is lost also), so it goes down the column of stitches row by row. Til either a stitch catches it, maybe where it was knit together with other stitches, and holds it, or it unravels to the bottom of the piece. All the stitches next to these dropped stitches are still there, they are held to the next stitch by God's yarn of love, but there is a gap, there is just an empty column going down the piece of work.  Is it forever lost? no, it is at the bottom of the piece, on the bottom row, waiting, it can be stitched back up with a crochet hook, worked back in, all the way back up.  The Master can use His love (the yarn) and loop those stitches back in around the dropped yarn that is still on each row. He uses us again, to bring the beauty back to His piece of work. If we cooperate it can be beautiful again, restored for His purpose. 

When we are knit together in love we are comforted, aren't we?  We feel the love, and care of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.  All of us together make a beautiful tapestry that The Father takes pleasure in every time He look at that piece of work.  He will continue to show grace and mercy, we continue to be pliable and usable, that He can twist us, knit us, purl us, knit 2 or a handful of us together, decrease the stitch number and add...

As I sit and knit a blanket for my granddaughter, these are the thoughts that came... ramblings in my brain.... I'm sure there are theological holes, a theologian i am not... just knittin' and thinkin' ...maybe they blessed you too. 

Your Room

I am still taking in the same book, I found another gem today.  This isn't word for word so
I  didn't " "  it...  I think new rooms are build for each grandchild too... we have big hearts :)

Your Room

When a new baby is born, a new room is built onto the Mother`s heart – and no one else occupies that room.  It doesn’t have to be bigger or better than any other rooms,  it’s just their’s.  "In My Father’s house are many rooms", Jesus said, and one of those was added on the day you became His Child.  That one is your’s! … He has it for you.. it is furnished by every moment you spend with Him... just the two of you, you and Your Father… your very own SistineChapel, where you meet Him in your divine journey together.  Your journey, nobody can walk your journey, it too is yours.  In the Cosmic Choir no one can sing your song… it’s your song with/for Him.

From God is Closer Than You Think.

Foundational Truths - New Year New Slate

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God is always present and active in my life whether or not I see Him.

Coming to recognize & experience God’s presence is a learned behavior. I can cultivate it.  My task is to meet God in THIS moment.  I am always tempted to live outside this moment.  When I do this, I lose my sense of God’s presence.

Sometimes God feels far away for reasons I don't understand, those moments are opportunities for me to learn.

Whenever I fail, I can start again, right away.

No one knows the full extent to which a human being can experience God’s presence. 

My desire for God ebbs and flows. God’s desire for me is always constant. ( He always wants to be in my present and presence.)

Each thought carries with it a spiritual charge that moves me closer, or a little further away, from God.

Every aspect of my life is of genuine interest to God.

My path to experiencing God will not look quite like anyone else's. 

                                              -God is Closer Than You Think

                                                         John Ortberg

 My assignment is to read this daily for 2 weeks.   What precious truths to tuck into my mind.  Gives a sense of love, hope, healing and consistency.    

After a time of relaxing over Christmas and New Years, I always have a sense of wanting to do better at so many things.  New year, New slate.  As this book stated "God has my picture on his refrigerator".  I've only started the book, but I love that concept.. It could be my photo or a project I made, He values me and my meager efforts.  Like a parent thinks their child is "the Best"! When I don't do well or could do better, He encourages me to get up and try again.  I guess that is my January feeling usually, try again, try to improve, try to be more like Christ and serve (as a Child of His, as a; wife, mom, Mimi, friends, church family...) like Christ would like me to.  That is a high calling, a huge task, it could be overwhelming.  But, He is walking with me, He understands me better than I understand myself (yikes/yeah).   Is 41:10-14 (one of my life verses) speaks of God holding my right hand with His righteous right hand, I'm not to fear.  That leads me to think that the bodily position for that to happen, is if we are not standing side by side, but face to face.  Christ/God is standing face to face with me (with each of us) as I walk this path of life, encouraging me as I am striving to be a glory to Him.  Not to bringing attention to myself, or serve self, but that people will see Christ through me.  

Sometimes I give myself a to-do-better-at-list that is too large, but God knows what I am capable of, and so it's a day at a time and we will see where He leads, " My task is to meet God in THIS moment. "