The Weaver
I think it is so fun how God weaves His way into my heart through my daily journeys and activities. Recently I bought some area rugs to replace some of the ones in my house, because they were looking pretty worn down and ragged. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that shortly after that I read something that talked about Bijar rugs. I’d never heard of that so I looked it up. This is what Google told me, “Bijar carpets are world renowned for their superb artistry, craftsmanship, and excellent material, and can be distinguished by their heavy wool foundation (cotton in twentieth-century carpets). As the weaver tied each row of knots, she added an extra weft and literally pounded down the knots.” Okay…but what’s a weft? Back to Google. “Warp and weft are the two basic components used in weaving to turn thread or yarn into fabric. The lengthwise or longitudinal warp yarns are held stationary in tension on a frame or loom while the horizontal weft is drawn through and inserted over and under the warp.” Now that I’ve given you a rug-making lesson, let’s weave it into a message of hope.
Rugs in high traffic areas get worn down easily, sometimes unraveling at the edges. After reading about Bijar rugs, I’m learning that rugs may be one of those things “you get what you pay for.” If you buy them at Big Lots, they’re probably not going to last a long time, or live up to the wear and tear you put them through.
We get stomped down sometimes, feeling like everyone is trampling over us like a high-traffic rug. We start unraveling at the edges or get so beat down, we fall into depression. During these times, it’s easy to want to blame, lash out or remain resentful, but the bible tells us that throughout these struggles, if we can trust in Him that He can make us stronger through our pain. That seems incomprehensible, but it is not for us to understand HOW God works…just that He does. The description above says that the weaver adds the EXTRA weft and pounds down the knots. The pounding strengthens the rugs, making each one stronger and able to withstand a lot of foot traffic. When I think of something be pounded down, I think of the two things (the thing being pounded and whatever it’s being pounded into) melding together and becoming one. When we can visualize a promise of God in a daily-use way, sometimes it’s easier to understand and apply. When I tenderize a steak…I season it and then pound it with a cooking mallet that stabs the seasoning into the meat. The pounding makes the steak more tender and flavorful. The pounding of the wefts makes the rugs more durable. Maybe the pounding you endure makes you a better you.
Psalm 84:5-7 says that those who pass through the valleys are blessed, that they go from strength to strength until they appear before God. Strength to strength…this says to me that every hurdle we overcome makes us a little stronger, but that we won’t stop encountering hurdles until the day we meet our Father. God is the Master Weaver…only He can take the good and the bad and bind them together to create something beautiful. The only way to be blessed in the valleys…to find joy in the pain…is to intertwine God into our lives, the ultimate EXTRA weave, so that we can become more like Him as we endure each and every blow.