Tuesday, December 15, 2009

In Other Words--Trust His Hand

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“When the trials of life unravel
the fabric of our plans.
When we face the deep confusion
of painful circumstance.
When our feeble strength is broken,
and we stand with empty hands.
That’s when the Father whispers
‘Trust the pattern I have planned.’ “

Lyrics from song, The Weaver


As a quilter I am well aware that sometimes you cut up beautiful fabric into smaller pieces, only to sew them back together. It is in the re-stitching that the patterns are changed that brings a different beauty to the final product. Often that first cut into the fabric is painful to make, but the knowledge of what is to be made makes the cutting of the fabric worth it.

Likewise, as a stitcher I know that you sometimes put a dull colour next to a brighter colour. On its own it is not beautiful, but in relation to the other colours, it reflects and creates new beauty.

It is in the dull and the seemingly destructive that beauty is created in needlearts. Likewise, my Creator uses the dull, the hurtful, the things that would appear to destroy to reflect his beauty in my life.

I've had a serious bout with sciatica this week. Serious enough that I was flat on my back for three days and my doctor did a phone consult to determine if he needed to do a home visit because I could not get to the office. Good medicine collected by wonderfully helpful neighbours have got me moving again. But my Christmas plans for the last few days have been on hold. I could be frustrated with the result. But I have heard the whisper "trust me" and I've been blessed by friends and neighbours help, by watching my girls do things they have not done before and by allowing German to finish the things I wanted to do myself. This slight blip of not being as mobile as I'd like has allowed a golden thread to be woven into the girls' lives that would not have been there otherwise. What I could see as hurtful He sees as an opportunity.

It is no secret that we have encountered some difficult relational things this year. I have struggled against the things that are happening, even as I see God's hand at work. Today, I choose to step back and not see the loss of some relationships as destructive but instead I'll see them as God's weaving new things and people into my life. The bigger picture that only He can see will be beautiful at the end. Golden threads are reflecting through this year. It will be amazing to see what they are highlighting.

If you are struggling and having difficulty seeing past the pain, please take a moment to step back and realize the pain may be the reflector of what is most beautiful in the story. Without the contrast of the pain, the whole beauty might never be seen. Trust the weaver, He knows what it is He is creating in you.

For other reflections on these wonderful lyrics, please visit Loni at Writing Canvas.

6 comments:

Denise said...

Such a lovely post dear.

Debbie Petras said...

I loved how you related this to your quilting. Using the little pieces of fabric and piecing it together into something beautiful; love that.

I'm sorry to hear of your sciatica but pleased to read how God is at work. Trusting Him is a lesson I too am learning but in different circumstances.

Thank you for your words of seeing past the pain. And I choose to trust the weaver as you're so right. He knows what He's doing and what it is He is creating in me.

Thank you for your words of wisdom today.

Blessings,
Debbie

Sarah said...

"It is in the dull and the seemingly destructive that beauty is created in needlearts. Likewise, my Creator uses the dull, the hurtful, the things that would appear to destroy to reflect his beauty in my life."

I LOVE this quote. It is so true that I see God most clearly during the hard times. Thank you so much for your wisdom today!

Karen said...

I love how God is patient with us during these stitching processes. It may take a smaller piece sown to a larger one and so forth but the end product is great. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Today, I choose to step back and not see the loss of some relationships as destructive but instead I'll see them as God's weaving new things and people into my life.

I have learned this one too . . . and it's hard . . . and I've seen too God bring people in & out through seasons of my life. Thank you for sharing

Tami said...

Well done, my friend. You inspire me to quit being a wuss.

I hope you're feeling much better soon. Love you.