Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Mistakes

Lately I have been working on a knitting project, and the other night I noticed a mistake.  Instead of knit 2, purl 2, I knitted 2 purled 1.  I tried to unravel it and fix it, but then I stopped.  I realized I had made the mistake when I was knitting outside my Dad's hospital room in the Critical Care Unit, while the nurses worked on him.  It was the day he died, and since he was dying, the nurses did not want me to go too far, just to step out for a minute.  To pass the time standing in the Critical Care hallway, surround by rooms of others going through the last struggle, like my Dad, I was thankful for my knitting to keep me busy in such a sad place.  Having something to do with my hands was a wonderful way to relax, and take a brake from such an intense situation.

While such knitting is therapeutic, knitting standing up at a time like that, I made my mistake.  Like most knitters, I wanted to fix my mistake, erase it.  But then I realize, as sad as this moment was, I do not want to erase it.  I want to memorialize it.  As romantic of me as it sounds, that one purl is a record of a significant moment in my life. It made me realize trials are meant for us to remember, to learn from, to add to the tapestry of our life.  They are moments that make us who we are - metals who are refined by God into precious metals.  Our trials hurt, they sting, but they are what makes us.  So, I am keeping my mistake in this little blanket I am knitting for my daughter's doll.  May I always remember it.

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tired me, I shall come out as gold." ~Job 23:10

And I will  put this third shall be left alive.  And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.  I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.' ~Zechariah 13:9


Bless our God,  O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.  For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. ~ Psalm 66: 9 & 10

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by  fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 1: 6-7

3 comments:

  1. Well said, Karen. Thanks for sharing. You, your Mom, sister, and brother are in my thoughts a lot this week. Much, much love to you!!! I want to give you a big hug! But I know you have lots of friends and family around to give you hugs and support you and I am thankful for that.

    ~Sheree

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  2. Beautiful thoughts, so true! - Pat

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