A new blanket

I was so blessed to receive this beautiful yarn for Christmas!

Originally, I wanted to make a sweater from one of these skeins.

However, I try to always pray about what God wants me to make and the answer was a baby blanket.

At first I couldn’t picture it.

Which pattern should I use?

How would these two ombre colors work together?

So this project sat, waiting for me to hear from the Lord.

It was perfect.

When I’d finished my previous projects (a hat for Mom and overalls for our granddaughter) the answer came.

Honestly, I still couldn’t see it.

Normally I have a mental picture of the finished product.

The finished product comes out a little different, but starting without any mental picture seemed a bit of a stretch.

Yet, stretching is something I’m learning to do more and more.

With a day of rest I was able to get a lot of the blanket finished yesterday.

It was such a pleasure to hear my sweet husband say:

“That’s a really pretty blanket,” with a smile of appreciation.

I had to praise the Lord.

It was all His idea.

With these days of learning, stretching, and surrender I’ve been finding more and more that when I take life before the Lord in prayer first, beautiful things happen.

On my own, in my own desires or opinions things rarely turn out at all.

Too many times I’ve tried to force circumstances or work something out, and if anything actually came of it all, I found my stress and striving had robbed me of any possible joy.

I don’t want to go back to that.

Although it’s not always comfortable, and I rarely feel any sense of control, there’s a beautiful freedom in allowing everything to be God’s.

God’s plans, His timing, His outcome.

It works so much better.

Stress and striving can’t rob God, He doesn’t do either of those things.

So, I don’t have to either.

I can pray before starting any project or task and pray while I work.

And I can leave the results up to God.

If something goes wrong, I’m going to look for an opportunity to learn from the mistake, and I’m going to praise Him for He never leaves me or forsakes me.

It’s incredible the lessons He has taught me from one small baby blanket.

The psalmist said it best.

Psalm 37:4 KJV — Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.