Does God Know How to Knit?
a reflection on Psalm 139
You knit me together in Mom’s womb. We were intertwined then, shared so much. Not souls, but an amazing amount – her much but not completely developed, me almost completely in potential: musical gifts, love of and capacity with words, playfulness, mutated HD gene.
All mixed together. You knitting with the needle and yarn and pattern doing the careful, painstaking crafting, attending to every detail.
Every detail.
Didn’t you notice that some of the yarn was ripped? misshapen? fallen apart?
Didn’t you think that maybe you could have just used the solid, firm, shining, colorful threads and put the rest aside?
What were you thinking?!
Maybe you knew each those threads and smiled at the power and beauty that would grow from the strong, taut weaving you were doing.
And maybe you wept as you saw images of the pain and ugliness that the imperfect threads would produce.
But each went through your fingers
the shiny and decaying threads
the richly colored and shadowy threads
the taut, strong and frayed threads
Why did you keep knitting?
Maybe because you knew you would make a sacrifice that would bring beauty, even from the ugliness. A more perfect, splendid garment than even one that had used perfect threads to start with.
Because Jesus would re-knit with completely new, heaven-made materials.
Maybe you still cried thinking of that, because it would cost you so much.
But your smile was deeper… and would never end.
All mixed together. You knitting with the needle and yarn and pattern doing the careful, painstaking crafting, attending to every detail.
Every detail.
Didn’t you notice that some of the yarn was ripped? misshapen? fallen apart?
Didn’t you think that maybe you could have just used the solid, firm, shining, colorful threads and put the rest aside?
What were you thinking?!
Maybe you knew each those threads and smiled at the power and beauty that would grow from the strong, taut weaving you were doing.
And maybe you wept as you saw images of the pain and ugliness that the imperfect threads would produce.
But each went through your fingers
the shiny and decaying threads
the richly colored and shadowy threads
the taut, strong and frayed threads
Why did you keep knitting?
Maybe because you knew you would make a sacrifice that would bring beauty, even from the ugliness. A more perfect, splendid garment than even one that had used perfect threads to start with.
Because Jesus would re-knit with completely new, heaven-made materials.
Maybe you still cried thinking of that, because it would cost you so much.
But your smile was deeper… and would never end.