And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1: 6
Crocheting is my hobby. To sit down without something to do in my hands makes me restless, bored, and maybe guilty for wasting time, energy, and materials. Having learned to crochet as a freshman in high school, many creations have graced my home over the years. The pictures above are some of my former work. Handkerchief edging, curtains, bedspreads, table cloths, doilies, angels, snowflakes, hats, socks … My needles have been busy. Currently, two projects are in my crochet basket. Planning, patterns, and persistence make not only crocheting happen; they also make life happen.
Did you ever consider that we are a part of God’s plans? He has not only made you in a physical, intellectual, and emotional pattern, but He also created you in a spiritual pattern. You were created for His glory; you were created for good works.
… Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.
Isaiah 43: 7
God thought about you before the Creation. He planned when you would be born. He planned when you would come to the knowledge of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He had in mind how you would bring honor and glory to Him throughout your life. All of us tend to mess up His plans, but in the end, He will have the glory.
God’s plan is something like the pattern I might use to crochet. I have my pattern, but if I don’t follow the directions, the creation will not look like the picture: Lop-sided; threads that seemingly go nowhere; dropped stitches. Sometimes the mistake in my work does not interfere with the entire pattern. The error is there, but it gives a bit of personal character to the entire piece. I can look at the finished whole and see a beautiful creation despite the error. Making a mistake along the way in our Christian life may have been a learning experience, but we have grown, then, into a better image of our pattern, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Other times, the mistake in crocheting is significant enough that rows and rows must be unraveled and restarted. That happened in crocheting the tablecloth I am currently making. I have designed a rectangular pattern myself, but I strayed from the pattern and rounded the corners. As well, I had tried to begin the theme of the pattern too soon. As the piece grew larger, I realized my mistakes. I was tempted to toss my work into the trash can. But no, I ripped out and started back on row three where I’d made my first error.
In our spiritual walk, the temptation to cut corners or jump into something without getting the basics done first may mar the work of art God gives us to accomplish. If the situation looks futile, we may be tempted to give up our Christian walk. If God has given the directions for the walk ahead, straying from the path is not a reason to give up. Starting back at the mistake is where we go. In God’s economy, sometimes we have to lay aside what we thought would be a great plan and He reroutes us in a different direction.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2: 10
What happens to a crochet pattern that can’t be fixed? Unfixable mistakes happen when we think we know how a pattern should go but we really don’t. It is like the idea of saying, “Hey, I don’t need a pattern. I know how to crochet, so I’ll just do my thing.” The end consequences will not result in a functional piece of work.
Perhaps someone will say, “If I am good enough God will let me into His heaven. I don’t need to go by what the Bible or those preachers say.” The end consequences will not result in a functional work of God. In fact God will not accept self-made followers. The Lord Jesus Christ is our pattern. He became one of us to take our place at Calvary and redeem us from eternal destruction.
Challenge: The next time you see a piece of crocheted handwork, consider how you are following the pattern God has laid out for you in His Word. If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, toss your own “pattern” in the can and follow Him.
Prayer: Father God, Creator and Designer of the universes and me, show me the pattern of how I am to live each day as Your workmanship and for Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
