I am honored to be friends with the women of the prayer shawl ministry at HOPE church who take their time and use their gifts to bless others…As I was participating in Sabbath today I wrote this to honor them…..though none would accept the praise….they are beautiful women…. being the Church….because they love God and their neighbor.
Smooth satiny needles silently and furiously dancing back and forth back and forth the dance step almost intrinsic as if it had a mind of its own, or could do it alone. Raspberry course strands dance in tune to the needles rhythm flowing from the ends till one is many and substance is formed. There is order in all of this movement back and forth, back and forth the satin needles crisscross.. crisscross..crisscross Powerful experienced hands pause slightly pulling stretching the raspberry twine checking, counting refining the dance back and forth back and forth crisscross, crisscross, crisscross I watch in awe of the many hands moving effortlessly yet with purpose and knowing pulling, checking, counting doing and undoing. I am so enthralled by the picture of hands each creating a different space which will come together as one I see each square as created beautiful, delightful, and ordered and the vision of them combined robs my breath and I am humbled by this act of creation and love I realize this symphony of hands gracefully moving to the dance is only a landscape for the hearts that share here the whispers to heaven for others . This is community with purpose Deep church…and I see in these hands….the hands of Christ crafting, comforting, crying out to heaven for those who will wrap these shawls across feeble, ailing legs, and weary burdened shoulders, and mothers who will swaddle their child fresh from the baptismal font . And in this I am suddenly aware that I am in company of God holiness in the ordinary and it is beautiful and goodParticipating by presence with those using their gifts for the sake of others And in doing so bless and are blessed in return