Sew What? I'll Still Trust You!

Ashley & Bethany Sewing

 {Written by Bethany Ann}

I have recently begun sewing. I love to go to my Gram's house each Thursday morning with my sister and sew with her 43 year old bright green machine. I love the feeling you get when you are able to make something with your hands. I love to choose designs, fabric and to cut out the pieces and pin them together. Once I start to sew them together I feel excitement that goes through me almost as fast as the machines hum.

Our first sewing project was some matching skirts for Ashley and myself. I had always wanted to make some skirts and now I was able to do so with my Gram's help.  As I sat at the machine slowly pulling the fabric as it was being sewed by the pushing of my foot to the pedal I was overjoyed that I was able to make these skirts. After a while of sewing I began to think of how my sewing with a machine was almost like our relationship with Jesus Christ. God is the Great Designer. He loves to create things and had many creations but none are so well-made and prized than His creation of us humans. He crafted each of us with great care and gently chose the way we would look.  He crafted us in our mother's womb and He takes pride in each of His creations -- us! {Psalm 139:14}

He planed each event of our lives far before we are ever born...but sometimes these events are unpleasant ones. Sometimes God chooses to bring us through trials to strengthen us and renew our faith in Him. Sometimes while we are going through these trials we don't realize why God is taking us along this path. "Why are you doing this Lord?" you might cry "Why would you do this to me...it'll only break my heart!" you may say. When tough times come such as when a loved one dies or when you might have to move or when your dad losses his job or when a friend rejects you. But we must realize that our Great Designer knows the future and this is all a part of God's plan for you life. He is working bit by bit to perfect you into a person that is less and less like your sinful nature and more and more like Jesus Christ. {John 3:30}

Dear sister, are you going through one life's trials? I would like to encourage you to not give up. God can see all the pieces of the puzzle and we can only see a few. No matter what you are going through, it is part of God's plan to bring you to the Creation that God desires for you to be. Just like a seamstress cuts the fabric and sews it together. At times the pieces of fabric look like they could never form something usable or pretty, but once there is faith an amazing thing happens and something beautiful is made. I would like to encourage you to not give up and to continue to grow in your faith and strengthen it! James 1:2-4 tells us: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Even though you might be having it hard, use this time to grow closer to Christ! I have realized that often times when I go through a trial I end up with much more faith in the Lord than I would have if I didn't have to put my faith into action and truly believe even though I cannot see.

It has been said that "True faith is not believing in God when everything goes our way. It is when we go through trials that our faith has the opportunity to make itself real." I agree! Dear sister, keep trusting in the Lord and do not give up! "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." {Galatians 6:9} Don't give up because one of these days you will see how God's plan was brought forth and how all those ugly pieces fit together to make a beautiful treasure!

In Christ's Love,

Bethany Ann