Cat's Crossing: Crafting and Creation

Sunday, 7 July 2013

Crafting and Creation

At the end of each day of creation, God observed that His work was good. And when He had completed it all, He saw that it was very good. God took joy and pleasure in His work of creating.

July 5, 2013 - My Design Wall with 2012 BOM quilt blocks to date, plus extras

In some small way, I believe I can understand God's joy in creating. I love to walk into my sewing room and view my design wall. When I work on a project, I enjoy the process and take pleasure in viewing the final product. Usually. Sometimes, my project doesn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Occasionally, I have to rip something out or just put up with my imperfections. There have even been times when I have felt like giving up in frustration. The instructions are not always clear. Here's a sweater I had to set aside for awhile because I couldn't figure out the directions for the sleeve. My sleeve initially ended up about 6 inches long, and that was supposed to be full-length for an adult.

UFO: Crocheted cardigan

If you look carefully, you can see the sleeve sitting on top of the body part, so I did finally figure it out and I have made some progress.
Sometimes I have too many projects on the go at once. And occasionally life, with all its necessities and crises gets in the way of my projects.

Several UFOs and WIPs

The quilting projects in this picture were all started before the death of my marriage. Then I had to focus on getting my life back together, pursuing my education and getting my career on track (not to mention moving several times, including living in a motel for a few months). Of necessity, I had to take a hiatus from hobbies. The crocheting projects are just current works in progress.
What about God? Does He make mistakes? Is He ever frustrated with His work? Does He get distracted by crises or too many projects on the go?
The Bible says that "His work is perfect." Deuteronomy 32:4. "And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31. So why is so much of His work not so very good?
Have you ever been distracted during a project by a phone call, a cat or a child? Or maybe someone has "helped" you with a project? With less-than-perfect results? That's sort of what has happened with God's creation. God didn't become distracted and He can handle multiple crises. It was all perfect, in the beginning. Not a flaw to be found. But somehow, we humans were not satisfied with His perfect plan and chose to do things our own way, refusing to follow His directions. And it looks like we've spoiled the whole quilt.
However, the Master Designer still has a plan. He wants to fix the quilts of our lives, as well as the quilt of this earth, that we have so messed up with our foolish choices. He'll start today, if we'll let Him. But we have to choose to let Him finish the quilt. And the full, perfect project will not be seen until His Son comes back and He "makes all things new." Revelation 21:5. He promised, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth." Isaiah 65:17. And one of the best promises of all, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4. And to that I say, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20.

A few of my finished projects (just so you don't think that I never get anything done):