I really have 1,000 things I need to be doing instead, but I wanted to offer this to you all because it's been on my mind and heart so much recently.As I look at my life, I see the connections I have to the people around me. Sometimes I wonder,
"If I didn't have _______(insert: church, motherhood, college) in common with this person, would we still friends?"
Most of the time the answer is no.
However, as I think about the way that my life is so delicately woven together with the people that I love to call my friends, I just have to give God so much glory. Just as He knew every detail of my body as He knit me together in my mother's womb, He also knew the details of my life. He knew the passions He placed within my heart and how those desires and abilities would knit me together with others who share that love.
How do I know this? Because scripture claims it to be true.
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16
How completely marvelous is it that the One who created me, knew and ordained the days before me!! As I have went to through the last few days, I have thought about the things that make me who I am. Those same things that knit me together with the people I consider closest to my heart. I can see in my mind, a single thread penetrating my heart and theirs, tying us together, truly knitting our lives as one. Here are just a few:
Follower of Christ
Mother
Mother of twins
Foster/Adoptive Mom
Daughter
Lyon (College) Graduate
Volleyball player
Wife
Southerner
Although many of these things seem so common, others are rare. With many of these things, I can feel a bond with another person simply because we have the same experiences, the same goals or the same emotions. Most times, these threads are obvious.
When I encounter other mothers who have twins, we instantly know that we "get" each other. Twins are an experience like no other. Sleepless nights, endless feedings and the joy that only comes in pairs, that is our common thread.
When I meet another Believer, I know that they understand the road I travel. A road that desires to be close with our Lord, yet is marked with bumps, rocks, hardships, unspeakable joy and even tears. Christ is our common thread.
When I think about the friendships I made in college, I know that those bonds will always go with me. Some of them have faded, while others have gained strength. I have a friend, Dee. She and I were just casual friends in college, almost friends by default because we had the same circle of friends. More than 5 years and 6 kids (4 of which are mine) later, our friendship is stronger than I could have ever imagined! We haven't seen each other face to face in over 4 years. Yet each time we talk, we are stronger. Once our common thread was college, but as that one seems to fade more are found. Now we are bound by the threads of motherhood, Christ and wife.
As I think about the reasons God has woven me together with each of the people in my life, my mind's eye sees a tapestry. This tapestry is my life. In some areas the threads are strong, in other areas they are frail, weak and fading. I run my fingers across the threads that are fading and frail then over the ones that are bold and strong. I ask God,
"Why? Why each of these things? Why did I suffer here? What was Your purpose there?"
I want my tapestry to glorify God. I want people to see the fabric of my life as a reflection of the cross. I want my threads to be bold for Him.
As I look at my life, I see that there are still loose strands around the edges. These are yet to be assigned to a specific area of my life. I wonder what God has in store and to whom these threads will be attached. My prayer is that God will use these loose ends to weave people into my life so that they may come to know Him.
I pray that the areas of my life that are already frail and fading will be used to show others His redeeming power.
My tapestry is not elaborate. There aren't many threads of gold or silk. But God ordained my life before I drew my first breath, before my heart beat a single time. He knew the days ahead of me. Mine is like no other, just as yours is unique as well.
My prayer, for you and for me, is that we cherish each and every thread God has blessed us with. We use them to forge friendships that might not otherwise exist. We use them to glorify Him and ultimately, show others the love that only a Savior can provide.
I praise God for the people in my life. People I speak with daily, and those that I haven't seen or heard from in years. Each of them added length to my threads and helped weave me into the person I am today. God is using my loose ends and tying me to the people who He created with the same intricacies, the same loves, the same passions. I pray that I will be used. I pray I will be bold. Above all, I pray that I will glorify Him.