Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Tapestry of our Lives

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

If you’ve ever done needlework, weaving or sewing, you know the top side is always the most attractive. 




Source

I came across this poem a number of years ago while going through a box of family photos.  It was handwritten on a piece of paper, the author unknown.  I am still deeply moved by the incredible insight of the author.   


The Tapestry


My life is but a weaving,
 between my Lord and me;
I cannot chose the colors,
He worketh steadily.

Oft times he weaveth sorrow,
 and I, in foolish pride,
Forget he sees the upper
and I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent
 and the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
 and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
in the Weaver's skillful hands,
as the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

When I think of an actual weaving or tapestry, I know that a lot of precious time and care goes into making it.  It’s not something that can be whipped up in an evening.   The beauty of the finished product is in the various fibers used.  If a tapestry was made of all gold threads, there would be no beauty in it, as it would not form a pattern.



It’s in the combination of colors, threads, fibers, weaves, and strands that the artist chooses to use, that make the finished product beautiful.  Our lives are a tapestry and God is the designer.  He sees the finished product while the work is still in progress.   




God knows and is interested both in the hardest problems we face and the tiniest details that concern us.  He knows how to put everything in place, like a jigsaw puzzle, to make a beautiful picture. 
Corrie Ten Boom

The dark threads are as needful
in the Weaver's skillful hands,
as the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

What are our dark threads?  Illness, death of a loved one, emotional or physical pain, broken relationships, financial stress or any other trial that’s personal to you. 



God is love. 
His will is always best

God is all-knowing. 
His directions are always right

God is all-powerful. 
He can enable you to accomplish His will.


Sometimes you find yourself in difficult or confusing circumstances.  To understand bad or difficult circumstances, God’s perspective is vital.  Never ever determine the truth of a situation by looking at the circumstances.  You cannot know the truth of any circumstance until you have heard from God. 


My times are in Your hand.
  Psalm 31:15a


We may never know while here on this earth why we experienced a certain trial, but for those who trust in the Lord, there will be a day when the top side of our personal tapestry is revealed to us.   It will be so beautiful, it will defy description. 


Only Heaven will reveal the top part of God’s tapestry.
Corrie Ten Boom










20 comments:

  1. Thank you Abby - this is beautiful, and it does behove us to remember the truth of it.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  2. Dearest Abby,
    I loved your post. It takes me back to a time in my life when I felt so alone. During that difficult time I remember one morning dropping my boys off at school and then heading for the beach. God and I walked and talked along the waters edge for hours. I told Him all about my worries and pain. As I left the beach I had one hour remaining until it was time to pick up my sons. I stopped by a Hallmark store and to my amazement I found a beautiful card entitled "Footprints". I stood right there in the store and cried. God is with us...no matter what the circumstances. One day we will have that canvas unrolled and God will show us all the times He walked with us and even carried us.
    Blessings and thank you so much for sharing!
    Carolynn xoxo

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  3. Thank you so much for this encouraging post! It is a good reminder for me when I struggle to understand the why of things. His wisdom is perfect as he creates each of our tapestries!

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  4. Delightful once again… The bookmark is a wonderful idea too! Have a wonderful day!

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  5. Corrie ten Boom's analogy has always been helpful to me. I love to embroider and pride myself on doing it well and I know that no matter how neat and tidy my stitches are and how cleverly I've hidden the ends, the top is always the truest representation. Thank you for this post. We all need to be reminded that His ways are higher than our own and we can trust Him to have our best interests at heart.

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  6. We all need reminded of this from time to time --- God truly does know what is BEST for our lives!

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  7. My dear Abby,

    Thank you for such wisdom! I am so thankful I have a God that loves all of me even when He can see the inside of me - what a precious Lord we have! Thank you for the book mark. I tend to have my nose buried in a book so I will enjoy having the poem close by.

    Blessings to you, sweet friend!

    Hugs,
    Stephanie

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  8. Thank you for a beautiful post this morning....Our lives are truly all in God's design....blessings

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  9. BEAUTIFUL!

    :) Hope

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  10. This is a beautiful reminder of how wonderful God is and loves us so much!

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  11. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful poem. I am new to your blog and have added you to my favorites.
    Betty

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  12. Beautiful, Abby....thanks so much for sharing this. Hope you are back to full health by now. I think about you whenever my silly ankle gets to hurting.
    Blessings and prayers,
    Karen
    Word Art Wednesday

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  13. Beautiful poem. Thanks for sharing it and making it into a bookmark. Jo4Him

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  14. Hello,

    I have changed my blog URL.

    I felt that my last one was too long and complicated.

    Could I trouble you to update your reading/blog list?

    http://thesimplelifeofhope-publication.blogspot.com/

    Sorry for the trouble~
    :( Hope

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  15. You have an awesome blog and a life changing message. Thank you. See you at BYB

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  16. I stumbled across your blog through a friends blog. Oh I so needed to ready what you had to say. Really touched my heart. Thank you! Carol

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  17. Ditto here too. I've had these posts open in my browser for days now, busy with other things. On the day I needed to read them, here they are.

    So neat how things worked out that way. <3

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  18. Hello Abby,
    Pamela, at Sheltering Tree, encouraged me to visit you and I am glad to be here. When I was 18, Mom and Daddy sent me off to Bible college with The Weaver as a bookmark for my Bible, It's been a huge part of my life ever since. Thank you for making it available to print; hopefully, my computer will work and I'll be able to print it. Then, I want to take it to the library and make a lot of copies, laminate them and give them away to encourage others.
    In 11/11 Dave, my husband, died quite suddenly and unexpectedly, and life has been extremely difficult. I'm a practicing Christian, have great faith and still have found these past months to be horrible. Visiting here has been an encouragement; God bless you, yours and the work of your hands and heart.

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  19. Visiting by way of Sarah's Homemaking Link Up. That's a wonderful poem. I think I had it in an embroidery mom had done some years back. Wish I still had the embroidery - I'm glad to find the poem here. Wish I had some printer ink! I'll have to save this and come back to it! Thanks.
    The Divine Point of View - it is very different from ours! Isn't it!
    Thanks, Jenn (Link ##63)

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  20. Beautiful work by BJ Franklin. I have printed copy.
    https://mwtb.org/products/the-weaver?variant=2596499777

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