Although, I had wanted to learn how to crochet lace for many years.
Nothing could have prepared me for the diligence it would take.
Like the moment I realized I’d put together three Celtic Flowers and I’d used the wrong number of stitches.
Which meant pulling it all out and starting completely over.
Now, that might sound like a little thing, but it feels very disheartening.
Crocheting lace takes tiny little stitches.
I’m always surprised at how much thread I wind back around the spool as I unravel stitches.
But it’s worth it.
The diligence in doing it over correctly means the end result will be something worth keeping.
Not necessarily the item, but definitely the lesson.
There is so much self discipline in diligence.
The lesson is so vital to those who follow Christ.
It takes a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment, choice to die to our own wants, desires, and ideas.
Following Christ means we don’t make our own agenda, we are servants of the Most High God.
A servant doesn’t plan their day, they wait upon their master.
Jesus is our example in all things and He laid down what serving God means.
John 5:30 NKJV — “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
John 15:10 KJV — If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
These are just a tiny slice of the depth of being a Christ follower.
For a servant to do the will of the Master they must know what He says.
Therefore, constant and continued prayer and Bible reading are the follower’s direction.
And the Master is so gracious and loving.
He understands each one better than that one knows themselves.
He even has sent the Holy Spirit to walk with His servants, to comfort them in their efforts.
He also supplies all the provision required.
I’ll be honest.
I’ve not always understood all this.
My efforts have often been warped by my own selfishness or my blindly trying to force circumstances into what I thought God was directing.
I’ve learned that when things go sideways, it’s time to seek God’s face.
Often, the error is in my understanding of the direction He gave.
Other moments it’s been a call to stop charging ahead of Him, but to do things as I’m lead, side-by-side with the Lord.
On some occasions, He allows things to catch my attention.
I’ve been known to “get things done” while missing the people God wanted me to minister to.
His heart is for the individual, not the project, and He has used circumstances to redirect my focus.
No matter the situation, it should be God who directs us, hones our character, and gives us the pattern to follow.
Then the Christ follower can diligently seek Him as they serve.
We can’t always see the beautiful and useful creation God is making.
But I’m certain that His crafting will produce a fair more valuable treasure than any crocheted lace.
May God bless you, dear Reader, as you diligently follow
patientlyhopeful 