You are a Tapestry

“Cross bearing is the long lesson of our mortal life,” wrote J.I. Packer.

“It is a part of God’s salvation, called sanctification.

It is a lesson set before us every moment of every day.

If life were an art lesson we could describe it as a process of finding how to turn this mud into that porcelain, this discord into that sonata, this ugly stone block into that statue, this tangle of threads into that tapestry.

In fact, it is in the school of sainthood that we find ourselves enrolled and the artifact that is being made is ourselves.”

Isn’t this a great quote?

I wonder, where I am along this ‘timeline’ of my own personal experience?

All the pieces of yourself, your life up to now…

Where are you in the art lesson?

There are times in my life when I think I have finally got the lesson, and I tend to learn the hard way which is most likely the stubbornness in me!

Growing up was quite hard at times but at 16 I got it!

I got that living the life I did of being disrespectful, slothful in my school work, having ‘light fingers’, loving guys too much, well that was going nowhere fast!

I got down on my knees at 16 and gave it all up to the God I love and serve.

Life didn’t get easier but I had Someone there to help weave the tapestry of my life.

A church full of saints who fed me the Word and gave me grace when needed.

Then off to Bible College where I learned so much, but I sure kicked against the rules that made no common sense, well to me anyway.

I had to die to me because this is the path I chose… He was still adding to my character.

Marriage and being a Pastor’s Wife wasn’t all a bowl of cherries.

You live in a fishbowl and some people ‘poked at the fish’ and it was hard.

But God was still sewing as He was teaching me love, forgiveness, and dying to oneself.

I have beautiful memories of some dear souls who fed into my life.

Husband, children and careers, trying to balance it all, sometimes doing it fine and other times failing!

All those experiences, all those trials and heartaches are part of the tapestry of my life.

I wonder what it really looks like?

I hope it’s colourful and fun!  Wove with bright colors that are joyful and fun to look at!

Of course, there would be a dash of pink somewhere!

There would be some somber colours at times that were ever so hard and tears flowed like rain.

I imagine there would be holes in some places but I pray my life was one that grew in faith and knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.

I wonder?

What do you think a tapestry, a statue that started from a marble block or a pile of mud would look like that was your life?

Would there be holes, chunks missing and chips in the pottery?

May we ponder these thoughts and take a moment and look inside us.

What do we look like now?

But more important where do you want to be?

The older we are, the farther along we are and it’s almost finished or halfway done.

I shall close this time with you with a verse from an old hymn.

“Thou art the potter… I am the clay… mold me and make me after Thy will… while I am waiting, yielded and still.”