I recently took up sewing as a hobby, and it’s been quite the learning curve. I have a newfound appreciation for anything made of fabric because I realize just how difficult it is for a human being to produce such beautiful work. Of course, like anything, it takes practice to truly improve.
The main reason I started sewing (aside from a strong nesting urge in month 8 of pregnancy) was that I remembered doing small projects with my mom as a kid and wanted to revisit the experience. Crafting has always been near and dear to my heart, but I’ve never had one “thing” to always go back to. Instead, I became sort of a jack-of-all-trades who is adequate at many things and expert at none (a theme throughout my life). While I appreciate versatility, I also recognize the value of honing a skill and sticking with it long beyond the infatuation has worn off. Plus, I want to one day be able to pass on useful skills to my children, and that’s hard to do if I can’t tell the presser foot from the stitch dial. So, with the very same sewing machine I learned on freshly dug out of storage, I embarked on a new journey into the world of textiles.
My project this week has been a set of curtains, which are pretty straightforward in theory. The application is a bit trickier, however, for someone as green as I am. The fabric itself is just… difficult. If I had to assign it a personality, it would be the sweet kid who says “yes ma’am” to your face then behind your back is plotting to set the trash can on fire just to see what happens. No matter how carefully I measured, the cut was always wavy. So I figured I would just fix it in the hem. What I thought would be a weekend project has turned into a week-long affair. Almost every night after the baby goes to bed I find myself behind the machine, pinning a hem or staring into the empty abyss of fabric waiting to be stitched. There are many other things I would rather be doing at this point, but I started it and I’m going to finish if it takes me all year, darn it! Then there’s the unforeseen problem of the cat thinking I’ve just opened up the latest feline motel on the kitchen table, complete with downy piles of gauze to lounge on…
Needless to say, my confidence once again is slightly shaken, but my resolve remains. I’ve never been one to shy away from difficulty, and I enjoy the unanticipated challenges.
As with all things, I see my new hobby for more than just its face value, for there are many lessons to be gained from the struggle of learning something new.
Don’t be too ambitious. Only take on what’s reasonable for your skill set, time constraints and equipment. There will be times later on for those extravagant dreams, but if you start too lofty you’ll end up crashing back to earth, wondering how you can ever start again. The best place to start is always by seeking God’s will.
Follow directions. Have a plan and stick to it. So many endeavors fail because of a lack of adequate planning at the start. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you will be equipped for every step of the journey as you go along.
But be flexible. Sometimes our plans aren’t always best, especially if we failed to consult God in the first place. In that case, He will take our blueprint and rip it up and set us on a new course. In these moments, don’t despair; His plans are always better.
Bad stitches can be fixed. Mistakes are rarely permanent. To our finite minds, it often seems there is no way out of a situation, but to an infinite God, our problems are part of a grander plan of growth and purpose. If we are willing to let go of our pride, He will navigate us through the storms of life.
Be thrifty. Be a good steward of the resources you have. Think outside the box. We’ve been given enough for our every need, but sometimes that means sacrificing the “latest and best” for the “tried and true.” Scripture never says that we will be rich millionaires by following Jesus, but that “God will supply every need” (Philippians 4:19a). It’s time to figure out what the true needs are, and everything else is unnecessary.
Be prepared for the long haul. No instant gratification here! Good things take time to make. Enter into every opportunity as if you’re planning to stay, building a proper foundation and allowing things to develop at the proper pace. Let everything happen in God’s timing.
Don’t rush it. Do all things with excellence, whether it’s planting a church or providing snacks for a soccer team. Things done poorly don’t reflect a perfect Creator, and most of the time those cut corners only lead to more clean up work in the end. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
Let the machine do what it’s designed to do. Let God be in control. He doesn’t need our help to be God, and we’ll only get in the way if we try to be Him. Instead, let Him be God and accept that all our efforts come to nothing without Him.
Don’t give up hope. Persevere to the end. Though in the moment things may seem unending, there is always a way out. The same God who parted the Red Sea can part the waters around us. Our job is to walk through and trust that whatever lies on the other side is for the good of His kingdom, no matter what it is.
Prayer is important to discerning God’s will. It should always be the first instinct when faced with the trials and challenges of life, not the last resort. (If you haven’t read my post on Nehemiah and the power of prayerful planning, find it here.) Through prayer, the Holy Spirit equips us to face the day’s trials and encourages us to trust in the One who had it all planned from the foundations of the earth.
Don’t be afraid to take the first step. As the Lord commanded Joshua, so He beckons us: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)