His Way is Perfect

Have you ever exerted a lot of time and effort into a project to surprise someone special? I usually find much enjoyment in crocheting afghans and baby blankets for gift-giving; however, one afghan in particular came to a point - well over halfway through - where the enjoyment was mixed with obstacles. I was following a mile-a-minute pattern (which means you make multiple strips and then join them together to create a full-size blanket). I had progressed quite smoothly up until I got to the joining rows. I began crocheting the first two strips together, but they wouldn't lie flat like they should have. Instead, much to my dismay, they were very rippled. I pulled out all the joining stitches, then tried joining them more loosely. They still rippled. So I tried a different stitch to join them instead of what the pattern suggests. Yet, when I laid it out, flat is something it was not. I tried another way and another way - those didn't work either. For hours, I tried every joining stitch I could possibly think of. Between attempts I would go back and look at the pattern to see if there was something I missed; I studied the pictures, too. I couldn't find anything. I called my aunt who had taught me most of my crocheting skills; maybe she would have an idea. She, too, suggested different stitches. Sadly, I had already tried them all. Alas! No avail! Nothing seemed to be working. Rather than use the yarn for something else or give up entirely, I decided to set it aside until I felt I could come back and take a fresh look at the pattern and the problem.

I had quite expected months to go by before I would tackle it, so I actually looked at the pattern book much sooner than I thought I would - only a few weeks had passed. I had been organizing and figured it wouldn't hurt to take one last quick glance before filing it with other patterns that aren't currently in use. Anyway, I decided to study the pictures again, then took a even closer second look at the not-so-close "close-up" picture. Indeed, this time something in the picture caught my eye. So I re-read the segment of the instructions which was in question. Sure enough! There was some wordage that could be interpreted two ways (and, apparently, I picked the wrong way). Yet I needed set the afghan aside until I would have the time to undo and redo all of those strips right now to the center section. Almost 6 months later, I finally was able to pick it back up and complete it. While I had it all apart, I decided to also increase the length. I really like how it turned out - and finished with just enough time for it to make the perfect gift for my brother's 19^th birthday.

All the while as I sat there trying to figure out what was wrong, I also thought of God's will for His children. His will for our lives is much different than the crochet pattern I was following, yet I noticed similarities as well. While anyone who uses that pattern will have an afghan much like the one I made, God has a specific plan for each individual. Your life will not be like that of others because He has made you to be special and unique. My crochet pattern came with start-to-finish directions, but God gives us guidance as we go. You see, as long as we follow Him, there is no way for us to mess up because He won't steer us wrong. The Lord doesn't bombard us with things that can be easily misinterpreted, neither will He ever give us more than we can handle at a single moment - He promises that. Better than having beginning-to-end instructions, we have the Bible (the inspired Word of God) to show us the way. Even better than having a picture of a finished afghan for an example, all we need to know is that our lives will look more like Jesus in the end. So one more thing: Just as I liked how the afghan turned out and thought the work of my hands to be beautiful, He will be pleased with us and our lives will be beautiful in His sight when we are obedient to Him and His Word.

But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5)