A
new writing assignment in my inbox—my heart quickened with anticipation. I am always delighted when they appear, so I
eagerly looked up the scriptures on which I am to base the devotional writings.
The first, Ephesians 4: 7-16 held some promise. Then I turned to the next ones,
1 Corinthians 5:1–13, 1 Corinthians
6:1–20. My heart and my enthusiasm dropped to my boots. How am I to come up
with an inspirational, family-type devotion based on those scriptures that talk
about sexual sin and turning the sinner over to satan? My first inclination was to cry out, “God,
how can I possibly do this?”
The
process hasn’t gone very far past that yet.
I still don’t have the complete answer, but I’m glad for past
experiences when I was faced with something I felt entirely incapable of doing.
When I was fifteen, I was working as a
mother’s helper. One morning, she
presented me with a length of red fabric and her daughter’s favorite blouse.
“This morning you can sew a blouse
from this material,” she told me.
“Where is the pattern?” I asked.
“Oh,
I don’t have a pattern—you can just use the blouse as a pattern.”
I
examined the blouse more carefully. The
back extended a few inches over the shoulder to form a yoke at the front. From that yoke the blouse front had gathers. It had long sleeves with wide buttoned
cuffs. There was an elongated,
lace-edged collar. It definitely was not
a simple pattern for beginners!
“I’m
sorry,” I told my boss, “I don’t think I’m capable of doing this. I’ve never made anything without a pattern
and I’ve never done something as complicated as this—even with a pattern. I just can’t do it.” I ended emphatically.
“Oh
go ahead and give it a try. You won’t
know for sure unless you try.”
“What
if I ruin the fabric?”
“I’ll
forgive you if you do, but I think you’ll do well. I won’t watch and make you nervous. I’ll go work in the kitchen.”
“But
I may need your help,” I almost plead.
“I
don’t know that much about sewing myself, so you just go ahead.”
What
was I to do? I breathed a desperate
prayer then began taking careful measurements, and measuring again. I drew it out on paper, adding enough for
seams, gathers and pleats. Slowly, piece
by piece I cut the parts of the blouse and began to sew. The project took the whole day and still
wasn’t complete. My body was stiff from
the tension I felt.
The
following day, I completed the collar, buttonholes and buttons, and heaved a
big sigh. When it was tried on, I could
scarcely believe that it really fit. I
was amazed several months later when the mother told me she almost had to
insist her daughter leave it with her to wash, for she loved wearing it so
much.
That
blouse wasn’t the last “impossible” task I faced in life. In fact, I always thought of that day when I
was presented with another new “impossible” challenge.
That
red blouse is fore-front in my mind today as I wrestle with those scriptures
and pray for insight and help to do the task before me. You never do know what
you can accomplish unless you try. God
can’t even work through you until you take that first step.
My latest published work is in the anthology, "Fifty Shades of Grace"
but you may also be interested in my two adult novels and children's book
that helps little ones deal with the death of a loved one.
1 comment:
Ruth, thanks for sharing your present challenge (I don't envy you concerning this assignment!). I like the delightful blouse-making story from your youth. It resonates with me, in view of the times the Lord has helped me when forced into the uncomfortable uncertainty of tackling the unfamiliar. ~~+~~
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