GoD's EmBrOiDeRy-a LEsSoN fOr JoSLyN

Joslyn has been carefully stitching the last two days a new design. This morning she finished after our Bible Study time and showed it to me. Of course it melted my heart and I am anxious to get it hung in a special place, but this special piece of embroidery held with it a lesson as well. She flipped it over to reveal a mess and seems to be discouraged by it even though it is the side unseen. But it reminded me of one of my favorite passages from "Not Good if Detached" by Corrie ten Boom. It is entitled "God's Embroidery." So I had Joslyn go pull the book out of my purse and bring it to me so we could read it together.

Corrie was sharing about a young immigrant women she met who asked her "Can I really trouble God with the petty things of my life?" This women spoke of how she certainly spoke with God about her soul, but I carry the weight of my everyday troubles and loniless, alone.

Corrie shared Psalm 147:11 with her 'The Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in His mercy.' This verse struck me deeply this morning. Not only is He a God who created us, loved us enough to save us so we could spend eternity with us, has plans to use us and grow us, He actually delights in us bringing our everyday struggles to him, He wants us to ask for help and to hope for His help!! I needed this so much-probably more than Joslyn....

As Corrie spoke with this young woman about prayer, she shared a story from when she was in a concentration camp. She shared how she had gotten a bad cold and asked her sister Betsie, "what can I do, I do not have a hankerchief?" Betsie replied, "Pray" Corrie said that she laughed, but sure enough Betsie prayed very simply and asked that the Lord provide her a hankerchief because of her cold. And sure enough, as she said Amen, Corrie heard her name called by the window. It was a friend with a small package for her. This friend had brought her a hankerchief and Corrie asked her "Did you know I had a cold, did someone tell you to bring this to me?" Her friend said "No, but as I was folding hankies in the hospital, a voice in my heart told me to bring this to you" Corrie said that changed her-it told her that there was a loving God who cared about impossible little things for His children on this small little planet! She shared that God does not always answer us the way we expect, sometimes he even says no. But that is because he sees more than we do. He does not panic and He has no problems concerning us. And then she shows a beautiful piece of embroidery, showing the wrong side and mentions how it is complete chaos.

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me,

I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily,

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent, and the shutters cease to fly,

Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the skillful weavers hand,

as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Joslyn's little embroidery for me will help me to remember that I can rest and trust in His plans. Even when life seems like chaos or not what we had planned, He is always at work. He knows what our beautiful embroidery "Life" is going to look like.