I've been assigned the task of writing the article for the church's weekly newsletter this month. I told the church secretary that I would get it written and emailed to her over the weekend. Well, the week was insanely busy and by the weekend Kyle and I basically just grocery shopped and napped. We met friends for dinner and had a friend over for dinner Saturday and Sunday and that was about it. Well, this morning I was puttering about, getting some things tidied when I got a text from the church secretary. "Hey where's the article?" AAAACK! Fortunately I work best under pressure and I pounded away at the keyboard for about 15 minutes, loaded it onto a zip drive and ran it over to her. After some minor editing it was off to the publisher. Its been that kind of a week! And I'm incredibly thankful for all the opportunities to be an encouragement and blessing to others, don't get me wrong. Its been very validating that so many people have asked us for help every single day this week. However between dashing about here there and everywhere, making a quick overnight trip to the in-laws and for a job interview, and my thyroid levels mysteriously going caterwompus all of a sudden, its made me incredibly absent minded and exhausted. So dear little blog, you have been neglected as well. My apologies. Since I don't know if I can divulge details from all our escapades of the week yet out of respect for confidentiality, and everything else has been humdrum and mundane, I figured I'd share the church article with you. I hope you find it interesting and encouraging :-) |
So when I attempt at making a pair of socks for myself and they end up a child’s small instead of an adult medium, it is easy for me to get really discouraged. I am not the great master of fine folk arts that my great grandmother is, nor the machine that turns coffee into wall art that my grandma was.
But I do what I can and my husband is very encouraging. Before I took the kids to camp I decided to make all the girls little knitted turtle stuffed animals. It was an easy pattern but I was really nervous that the kids wouldn’t like them. So I waited a few days at camp before giving them to the girls, and in the meantime knit a scarf for a Christmas present. One of the girls plopped on the bed next to me and stared. “Whats that, crochet?” she asked. “No its knitting.” I retorted, feeling defensive – and then guilty that a 10 year old could make me feel defensive! “My Grandma knits.” The girl continued. Then with a sly look she said, “Are you a Grandma?” Rude little booger! But as I continued more and more girls crept up and watched, still making snide remarks but obviously enthralled. Then the requests for things that I make THEM started coming in.
The day I put the turtles in a place where they could find them was a really good lesson for me. “OH Ms Rachel! You made US something!” was the elated cry as they compared the colors and sizes and tried to pick turtle-appropriate names for their new toys. And you know, those poor turtles got dragged everywhere for the rest of camp? To the lake, to the cafeteria, to the swimming pool… I was terrified they were going to be ruined, but those girls took good care of their new little treasures.
I compare my little projects with the great masterpieces the matriarchs of my family make, and I feel completely incompetent. But despite that, I use the gift and talent God gave me to touch others. What areas of your life do you feel inept in? Do you think God can use that to touch someone else in a special way?
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9