All day long have I toiled and striven; but now in the stillness of heart and in the clear light of Thine eternity, I would ponder the pattern my life has been weaving.    –John Baillie

Reflection on the past ten months of blogging finds me still toiling and striving.  Hence, the re-posting of this quote.  If my life is a cloth, what pattern have I been weaving?  

What will the clear light of God’s eternity reveal about the threads of my life?

Well, I have been weaving for a long time now, so the entire pattern of my life is just too much for one post.  How about just a swatch?  

Drilling down on last week;  it began with disaster.  I strove to keep pace with shifting circumstances.  I toiled to solve problems in my own strength (being a sucker for challenges).  Not willing to let approaching winter snows cover all the falling leaves in the yard, hours were spent in futile attempts at raking, bagging and shredding every last one for the compost heap.  Within three days I was down with a headache.  God knows how to get my attention.  I was beginning to feel like King Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:12 ~

Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me.

But, our Father is indeed good all the time.  The wind blew hard and then our first snow dusted the landscape.  Thank you, Lord!  The last of the leaves blew only He knows where and the cares of life eased up a bit.  I came to my senses and gave up wrestling with life’s dilemmas.  I did what I know I should always do and turned it all over to Him.  He is the Master Weaver and His pattern is so perfect, so divinely stunning; my efforts will never stand the clear light of His eternity.

By week’s end, every problem that I viewed as disastrous God transformed into a miracle. Getting the leaves raked was never God’s priority – only mine.  Toiling at chores was not what was needed last week.  Tempers had flared  at the beginning of the week and left me with a sad heart for those involved.  I prayed for an opportunity to encourage someone to do the right thing and God answered my prayer with a miracle.  Family tensions melted into forgiveness.  Broken stuff got fixed.  My pattern swatch for the week was replaced by the one Jesus wove.  Giving Him glory, life with Him at the center brings all the scattered threads together.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the Light of the world. Whosoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” ~John 8:12 NIV

Today I am praising my Father in Heaven for weaving a blanket of pure linen that covers the mistakes and sin in my life.  He doesn’t see my pattern anymore – only the shed blood of His Son, Jesus.  When Jesus sacrificed Himself for me, He made sure that His pattern does not need to be pondered.  It WILL stand in His clear light of eternity.

Photo credits in order of appearance:©Can Stock Photo Inc/promicrostockraw/stevenwilson/michaeldb/mrdoggs