The Spiritual Discipline of Latch-Hooking: Part D

This is part 4 of a 4 part series on spiritual truths that I can to realize as I made a latch-hook rug. You can find  part 1 here, part 2, and part 3 here.

Latch-Hook Truth 16: When latch-hooking, I always wonder if there will be enough of each color. There always is enough of each color, in fact, there always are extra colors left over at the end. I don't need to be stingy or worried over running out. After I finished my rug, this was the extra yarn.

Spiritual Truth 16: In life, I don't need to fear running out of things. God delights in our generosity towards others. I should hold loosely onto my possessions, because none of them have eternal value.

Latch-Hook Truth 17: In theory, every yarn in a latch-hook kit is perfect and ready for use. In reality, there are quirks in the yarn. I need to weed out inferior yarn, whether it is too long, too frayed, or knotted. I don't have to use inferior yarn because of the previous point: there's always extra at the end.

Spiritual Truth 17: Sometimes, I need to weed out unhealthy reactions or emotions. Everything I think or feel should not be acted on. Part of the Christian way is to identify areas in which we don't measure up to Christ's standard...and to seek the Holy Spirit's help in becoming more Christ-like. It's not enough to shrug our shoulders & say that it doesn't come naturally to us. We need to weed out ungodly traits and thoughts from our lives.

Latch-Hook Truth 18: I need to groom my rugs to remove fuzz. As I work, there is a build up of fuzz from the ends of the yarn. Grooming the rug involves finger-combing over it to collect the fuzz. The fuzz reflects colors of the area being worked on, whether that is the water, the sky, or the ship. Regardless of its color, it needs removed all the same.

Spiritual Truth 18: I need to regularly go over my actions and thoughts with the Holy Spirit. When God reveals gunk in my life, I need to allow Him to comb it out of me. It's not a "once and you're done" process, but needs to happen regularly, as long as I still draw breath.

Latch-Hook Truth 19: I need to trust there will be enough of each color. Um...wasn't this the point of #16 & 17?? 16's point is not to be stingy or worried over the amount of yarn left. 17's point is not to use inferior yarn because I'm scared there won't be enough. This point is all about TRUST. I need to trust that the maker of the latch-hook knew what he or she was doing when ordering the threads. I need to trust that he or she set the pattern correctly. I need to trust that I won't run out of dark blue even when the last three rows use 300 strands of dark blue yarn a piece. I can only be generous & discerning in my yarn usage if I trust the maker of the kit.

Spiritual Truth 19: I need to trust God to lead me. Trust is the basis for generosity in my life. If I am generous, will I trust God that I still will have enough? Trust is the basis for discerning which attitudes I need to get rid of. If I allow attitudes to be culled from my life, will I trust God will shape my nature into a more Christ-like follower? Do I trust Him enough to follow where He leads, even if I don't understand all of His reasoning?

Latch-Hook Truth 20: Latch-hooking is a fun solo activity, but it is also good to accept help. Accepting help tempers pride. The "I made this" becomes a "We made this". Accepting help brings more people into the craft room to share in my hobby.

Spiritual Truth 20: Life is not meant to be done as a solo activity. We need to accept and offer help freely. Offering help allows others into my life, where I can shower them with Christ's love and accepting help allows others to be obedient to God's instructions as I experience both giving and receiving aid.

Is latch-hooking a spiritual action? To answer this, we must look at a bigger question: What makes an object secular or sacred? It depends on where it draws your mind. If an object makes you think of and worship God, then it is sacred. If it keeps your thoughts turn downward or inward on yourself and your worldly cares, then it is secular. The creator's intent could be secular or sacred in its own right, but your approach to an object matters too. We can treat sacred objects in a secular manner by misusing it. Secular objects can be used in a sacred way when they draw our thoughts to God in worship.

When I say that I am making a latch-hook rug, I am also taking lessons at Jesus' feet. I am learning about prayer, worship, dedication & persistence, patience, and so much more. For me, making a latch-hook rug is a sacred task. And so it is the 13th Spiritual Discipline that I have studied this year.

The Spiritual Discipline of Latch-Hooking: Part C

This is part 3 of a 4 part series on spiritual truths that I can to realize as I made a latch-hook rug. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here.

Latch-Hook Truth 11: By spending time with the latch-hook kit, I come to know the colors and can distinguish between them at a glance. When I first start sorting the colors, it is a struggle to figure out which color belongs to which name on the pattern. So I start by sorting the colors and then comparing them to tell the difference between blue, light blue, very light blue, blue gray, and dark blue gray. As the sorting goes on, finishes, and the actual work begins, my familiarity with the colors allows me to identify when an incorrect strand has gotten mixed in with another color. I can see the differences in a row between similar shades.

Spiritual Truth 11: By spending time with God, I come to know Him and His traits better. I can start to distinguish between the different fruit of the Spirit at work in my life. I initially struggle with understanding and implementing them, but they become more familiar and easier to use as I continue to practice them. I get better at identifying present vices and lacking virtues in my life. I can see how these traits influence my life each and every day.

Latch-Hook Truth 12: As the rows build on each other, I am not longer able to pick out specific colors without closer examination. The individual colors blend into something greater than their unique mark; they form a whole greater than the sum of their parts.

Spiritual Truth 12: As my days blend into years, the individuals actions and experiences blend and merge into something greater. The traits that are cultivated in my life blend together as the Spirit shapes me into a more Christ-like individual.

Latch-Hook Truth 13: There are rare colors and common colors. The common colors exist in spades and are used throughout the whole rug. The rare colors come in for a season and fade away. Sometimes the rare colors are more vibrant or particular, but the common colors hold the pattern together.

Spiritual Truth 13: There are rare gifts and traits, as well as "common" gifts and traits. The common traits are critical to my daily walk and life. The rare gifts are given for a season and then fade away. A lot of people chase after the rare, showy gifts, but it is the common gift used often and faithfully that influences the direction of my life.

Latch-Hook Truth 14: I keep an image of the finished product before me, so I can see where I'm going to end up. I have a picture from the front cover of my latch-hook box that shows the completed design. When I get discouraged over my lack of progress, I like to see how far I've come on the rug so far.

Spiritual Truth 14: I sometimes forget how far I've already gone in my faith walk. I need to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and my end goal of spending eternity with Him.

Latch-Hook Truth 15: There are two types of pictures in a latch-hook rug kit. The cover picture (the "what-it-should-look-like-when-it's-done" picture) and the pattern/key (the "here's-how-to-make-it" picture). The cover picture is shown above and the pattern/key is shown below. I never wrote on the cover picture, but I crossed out where I've been in the pattern/key. I calculated how many knots were in a row and when I'd be 50% done. By the end, the instructions were written on, but the cover picture was pristine.

Spiritual Truth 15: I need to mark in my Bible. I need to highlight, underline, and write notes in the margin. I need to flag special verses and note questions I have. If I end my life with a pristine Bible, it probably won't have made a big impact in my life.

The Spiritual Discipline of Latch-Hooking: Part B

This is part 2 of a 4 part series on spiritual truths that I can to realize as I made a latch-hook rug. You can find part 1 here.

Latch-Hook Truth  6: I enjoy making latch-hook rugs because it requires my time and dedication, but it gives me time to think, pray, sing, listen to audio books (learn), and to be still.

Spiritual Truth 6: I need to make time in my life to worship, be still, pray, and study the Bible.

Latch-Hook Truth 7: Pre-planning and laying out my row can save me time, but if I'm not careful, everything can get jumbled together.

Spiritual Truth 7: The best-laid plans of men can fail. Sometimes I outline my day, but it doesn't go as planned.

Latch-Hook Truth 8: Every row does not use every color in the pattern. There are times when I use a lot of blues and times when I use a lot of browns. There comes a time when I am finished with a color for the rest of the rug and there are times when I pull a color back out from the finished pile, because I really wasn't done with it.

Spiritual Truth 8: There are seasons of life. Some seasons are happy, others are drab or even sad. At the close of a season, an activity may be put aside until a future season or set aside forever.

Latch-Hook Truth 9: Not everyone will understand my love of making latch-hook rugs. I pay to buy the kit, I sort the strands, I pour my time into the rug, and finally it is done. (this rug will take over 76 hours from my 2017-2018 evenings, and that's not counting all the time I spent in 2016-2017 in pre-sorting the strands). Not everyone will understand the draw of sitting quietly, sometimes with a lecture, song, or prayer to join me for a row or twenty.

Spiritual Truth 9: Not everyone will understand my faith or my motives. I say no to a lot of customary worldly things & activities so that I can better say yes to God. I pour my time, energy, and money into following and worshiping God. Some people might think that I am crazy or deluded, when they see my actions and leave about Who motivates me to act.

Latch-Hook Truth 10: It is so hard to keep a completed rug for myself. The joy is in creating and the joy is in sharing. It is a gift that includes time, money, prayer-wrapped strands, and effort.

Spiritual Truth 10: This news is too good to keep to myself. It must be shared often and repeatedly.

The Spiritual Discipline of Latch-Hooking: Part A

Does the title of this post seem to be a contradiction, an oxymoron? Are you asking yourself how a craft can be a Spiritual Discipline?

Yet for me, I see so many parallels between my faith & my craft. I learn so many life lessons while sitting at the latch-hook table.

Latch-Hook Truth 1: I must first buy the kit before I can begin the work.

Spiritual Truth 1: I must first submit to Jesus' Lordship in my life through repentance and committing to follow & obey Him. Then the work can start.

Latch-Hook Truth 2: I start my work by pre-sorting all the colors. Latch-hook kits come with bundles with strands of yarn that are all mixed together. The first task is to sort the strands by color so that I don't have to go hunting for 20 more dark blue when I need more.

Spiritual Truth 2: I start my work by prayer. I do not jump straight into the work without first taking time to pray about the need, God's guidance, and how best to proceed in a way to glorify God. Without prayer to start my task, I end up missing key steps, doubling back, or dropping the project out of discouragement. Luke 14:28 tells us to count the cost before we begin to make sure that we can complete it.

Latch-Hook Truth 3: I am given a pattern to follow, but I must commit to following it. I don't always understand why the pattern calls for a strand of a particular color here but not there, so I need to decide if I will follow the pattern when I don't understand why or if I will branch out and go my own way.

Spiritual Truth 3: I am given instructions on how to live and obey God, but I must decide to follow it. These instructions do not always make sense, so the choice is before me. Will I obey even when I don't understand or will I branch out and go my own way?

Latch-Hook Truth 4: Things do not go well when I branch out and go my own way. I see a small bit of the completed latch-hook as I build it strand by strand and row by row. I can look back at what I've completed, but the remainder of the rug is blank until I fill it in. Discordant colors blend when they are side by side. The nuisances of colors add depth to the final product.

Spiritual Truth 4: Things do not go well when I branch out and go my own way. I see a small bit of how my life interacts with others as we go through life together. I can look back at what I have experienced, but the rest of my life is unknown until I live it. Discordant events somehow fit together even when they seem to clash initially. Depths of emotions and understanding add depth to my life.

Latch-Hook Truth 5: I can only complete a rug strand by strand, row by row, day by day. It will not be finished in an hour, or day, (and in this case 11 months), but takes time, effort, and commitment.

Spiritual Truth 5: I can only live my life moment by moment, day by day, year by year. This is not a sprint or even a marathon, but takes a lifetime of effort, commitment, and obedience.

This is part A of a four-part series. When you spend a lot of time on an activity, it tends to ruminate through your mind and provide lots of analogies for blog posts.