KNITTING
I am teaching myself to knit socks. I’ve done a lot of knitting, but this is a first time I’ve tried to make socks. I am following the directions very carefully so that the finished product looks the way it is intended to look. If I were to go just by appearance, there are times during the process when it looks as though it couldn’t possibly be right. “How,” I ask myself, “is this strange looking bit of knitting going to become a sock?” I decided to continue following the instructions in spite of the strange appearance and amazingly it has begun to look like an actual sock.
As I thought about that, I got a mental picture of God as the knitter and myself the knitting He is working on. He already knows what the “finished product” will look like. After all it was He who formed me in my mother’s womb. He knows exactly what He has to do in order to continue that work in my life and make me the “me” He created me to be.
There are times I question the pattern He is following. How can it be right? Has he lost count of the stitches and lost one somewhere in the work? Why would He allow those things in my life? I don’t understand. Surely this can’t be right. I look at the lives of others around me and wonder why my life can’t be more like theirs. I do my best to make myself look like others I admire, thinking somehow that would make for a better me – all to no avail. I cannot control the pattern of my life. It is in the hands of the Father who patiently knits according to the plan.
If I am willing to surrender to His plan, I will begin to see the pattern taking shape. When I understand that I can only be the “me” He created me to be if I stop trying to be like others and allow Him to mold and shape my life, I will find purpose and fulfillment.
When I understand that everything that comes into my life must first pass through His loving hands, I will stop questioning the things I cannot understand – the hurt, the suffering, the difficulties. When I trust, even when I cannot see how it can possibly work out for my best, I will begin to see the beautiful pattern He is creating in my life.
I will not see the “finished product” until the day I see Him face to face. However, I know that if I am willing to submit my life into His hands it will be perfect.
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.”
Psalm 139:13, 14 (NLT)
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is.”
I John 3:2 (NLT)
That was beautiful, Linda. Thank you.
The hardest part is waiting. We often want to see the results right away. Or we can not understand how it will turn out the way want.
Thank you for the reminder that HE is all knowing!
Angie
What a great analogy, Linda!
Wonderful analogy! If I was the one doing the knitting I’d REALLY wonder how He could make something out of that!
Very lovely.
A very apt analogy, and one that I can appreciate as both a knitter (of socks too!) and as a child of God. Thank you.
Wow Linda.. Just wow..
Recently I have been extemely sensitive to this. If we are not smack in the middle of God’s word we will end up with an extra toe or a missing heel.
What a great analogy. Loved your post. Thank you.
Oh – you have so spoken from my heart, Linda. I too sometimes wonder where all this ‘knitting’ is going. But I know that I have to trust Him – that He knows best to finish this particular sock…
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts – I needed to read them this morning…
“There are times I question the pattern He is following. .”
Beautiful post Linda. There are times that I question the pattern he’s following also. Thanks for the reminder the He knows what the finish product looks like.
This very subject has been something I have been rolling around in my mind. Great devotional.
“When I understand that I can only be the “me” He created me to be if I stop trying to be like others and allow Him to mold and shape my life, I will find purpose and fulfillment.” POWERFUL.