Verse 13

Well, it's time for Proverbs 31:13. "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands."



I like to knit and crochet. I know other women who are good at tatting, needlepoint, quilting, sewing clothing and home furnishings, and a host of other handwork. Sometime about 17 years ago I thought I would delve into the world of quilting. I lived in Indiana close enough to the famous Shipshewana and looked at the Amish ladies' quilts longingly. These women sell fantastic quilts for as much as $700 or better. That wasn't what caught my eye, though. It was the artwork. So many quilters put tons of hours into something that, in its finished state, is indeed a work of art.



So here I was, a good knitter and crocheter, but a not so good seamstress, trying to make something I couldn't possibly do well. But I tried. I followed a simple crazy quilt pattern I found in a magazine and worked and worked at the thing. I got frustrated and lost my temper more than once. After countless hours, I was finished.



The thing was not good at all. I have the quilt now, but it is crooked, puckered and generally a poor example of a quilt. I have lost my zeal for quilting, though I've tried it again a few times, never to finish another one, though, other than a couple of wall hangings that are just as atrocious as the first full-sized quilt.



I found out through the whole experience that I don't like to quilt. When I sew, I do it for necessity, not for the joy of it. I don't work with eager hands. Yet when I knit a baby blanket for my pastor's baby, or I make a sweater for a friend, or I knit and crochet dish cloths, I do it with a zeal and a vigor for the project itself. I do it for the joy I derive from making something with my own hands.



I think we can all learn to create something beautiful with our hands. It doesn't have to be knitting, crocheting, tatting, quilting, or sewing. It might be painting, writing (which I also love to do), sculpting, or cooking. It might be gardening, scrapbooking, or decorating houses.



Whatever your passion is I hope you do it with eager hands and a willing spirit. God gave you the talents you possess and you owe all the glory to Him.