Knit and Crochet Bible Study

Tag: comfort

  • Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

    Isaiah 30:15 convicts me, ” This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, say: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

    Pain has had me in its grips for the past few days. I cannot concentrate so I am watching some old TV Land Andy Griffith shows. Today’s episode reminded me of this verse.

    A traveling pastor comes thru town and speaks on slowing down and taking it easy. “Why are we always in a hurry?” he asks.

    We are living in a day of technology that was supposed to offer us more free time, and instead, it seems to keep us busier than ever. We are never without a phone that dings every few seconds to tell us of incoming emails and Facebook posts.  We sit at tables in restaurants with family, everyone having their own conversation on their phones, not with each other.

    We can’t even watch television without the interruption it offers, announcing incoming phone calls.

    Being a multitasker myself (or perhaps it is A.D.D. or Type A personality or just I can’t focus on one thing) I find that I don’t do just one thing. If I have a knit or crochet project in my hands, I have headphones on listening to a book, or the television entertaining me. Even when I sleep my mind replays the events of the day and the list of items that remained undone that day.

    I find my biggest problem in doing one thing is during Bible Study time. If I use my laptop to study I find it easy to get distracted by notifications of messages and the temptation to see what is going on with family and friends on Facebook. When I use my printed Bibles I look around and feel I am neglecting duties around the house.

    It takes determination to set these things aside and focus totally on the Lord. Just like choosing to follow Him and choosing to knit or crochet, I must choose to rest. Perhaps if I focus on these verses I can bring my active mind into one accord with Him.

    Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. Psalm 116:7.

    Matthew 11:28: Come to me and I will give you rest.

    Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.“ Psalm 116:7

    “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God”   (Hebrews 4:9).

    “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28 NLT).

    Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my soul to rest in thee. Give me comfort, give me peace, in your arms Lords, I will sleep.

    What do you do to clear your mind and find rest?

  • Christmas is Coming; Patience is Tested

    “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.”  Psalm 37:7

    Christmas is so hard.  You see wrapped gifts under the tree, and all you can do is peek at the wrapping, shake the package.

    As children, we used to sneak under the tree with a flashlight, whispering together thinking mom and dad couldn’t possibly know what we were doing (they were watching from their bedroom, unknown to us).

    The waiting is soooo hard.  Patience is a virtue that must be developed and Christmas time is not the time to pursue it.

    I get the same feeling when I am working on a large project. I recently made a SpiderWeb Afghan for my grandson for Christmas.

    The bigger it got, the more I kept repeating “is this the last round? No! Then is this the last round?”   Now that it is finished I am excited to see his reaction to it. I constantly look at the calendar and count the days until I give it to him.

    While I am excited to give my gift, he is excited to see what he will receive at Christmas. “That’s  long time grandma” is his response when we talk about that special morning.

    The 2 hardest words in the English language might be ‘just wait’.  Throughout the old and new testaments we read story after story of people’s lives and God’s promises fulfilled.  In every situation we can look back and see God’s hand at work and each blessing received at the right time. But that time is God’s timing, not our own.

    My husband and I are just coming out of a financially difficult time.  Like millions of others we felt the sting of unemployment. Medical bills continued as my pain worsened and surgery was scheduled.

    Throughout these days we trusted in God and asked ‘why Lord’. We waited on Him, I was impatient. No amount of worry, of crying, or foot stomping was going to change the situation.

    There is only one way to learn patience. Through events that cause us to wait.

    Old Testament figure, Joseph, experienced many “just wait” moments. He is sold by his brothers into slavery, is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He does not see his family for many years. He “waited patiently for the Lord” and became a person of authority serving Pharaoh.  ( read about Joseph starting in the 37th chapter of Genesis )

    Read the story of Mordecai in the book of Esther. He sent a warning after hearing of a plot to kill the king. It was customary to offer a token of gratitude. But none came.  “But wait patiently for God”.  On the night when Haman was plotting Mordecai’s death, the king could not sleep and read the chronicles. With God’s perfect timing he arranges for Mordecai’s public reward and discovers Haman’s wrong deeds. God put all the puzzle pieces in place and in the end His name was glorified. 

    Can you look back at your life and see incidents where no matter what you did, God’s hand was there without you knowing it.  My best personal example of this took place at the still-birth of my first grandchild.

    A package was delivered to our home. Before I could open it my daughter called to tell me the child she was carrying had died in the womb. The doctor was starting labor for her to deliver him.

    With tears running down my cheeks I rushed to be at her side. I held her hand as this lifeless child came quietly into the world, born into Jesus’ arms. I spent the night with her in the hospital. When I arrived home I opened the box that was delivered. Inside was a plaque that read “Joy Comes in the Morning. Psalm 30:5”  

    The package was from my father-in-law and his wife. I called to tell them about the baby and how timely the plaque was.  “Sherry didn’t know why, she just felt she was supposed to send it to you”.  

    God had touched her heart and prepared a special message of encouragement. If I had opened that package 24 hours earlier, the meaning would have been lost. 

    So whether it is a large knitting project, a job search, bible study or Christmas morning, we  learn to “be still and wait patiently”. All things happen at the right time and no amount of worry or impatience will change this.

    Maybe next time I  work row after repeated row after repeated row on a knit or crochet project, while my hands are moving mindlessly, I will quote Scripture and memorize passages. While I struggle to block a sweater I will pray and ask blessings on others, naming one for every straight pin I poke into place.

    Christmas is coming. So are the events of your life. Will you grab a flashlight and try to sneak a peek? Or will you wait upon the Lord, trusting all will work for good in His time?