Thursday, March 31, 2016

My Stitched Cross


Several years ago I made a counted cross-stitch picture as a gift for my parents. I enjoyed seeing a meadow, a quaint cottage, a glowing sunflower, sheep, and other elements of the picture form beneath my fingers as I stitched them with love. A Bible quote at the top right corner reminded me that “It is good to give thanks to the Lord."

To start this project, I stitched a horizontal and a vertical line of red stitches on a white rectangle of woven fabric. These two lines passed through the center of the material and formed a cross, which was essential for me to know where to place my needle when I stitched. If my stitches were in their correct places relative to the cross, they would result in a charming rustic scene. If not, the picture would probably be distorted, and might not even fit onto my canvas.





Today my stitched cross reminds me to make God the center of my life. When I put myself first, my life is out of kilter and the result is a mess instead of a pleasing picture. But when I put God first, my personal relationships and priorities fall into their rightful places. 

And, of course, this applies to my writing. I need to put God first, else my words are a waste of time. It is my prayer that God is the center of my work and that it pleases Him.

And now it's time for a confession. We are redecorating our house, so my writing space is cluttered with the contents of several cupboards and book shelves that are newly painted, making work difficult. So for today's post, I tweaked an old devotion. At the time my picture was a work in progress, but now it's finished. Take a look below to see it.

My parents with their picture.

7 comments:

  1. Love the cross stitch you did. I use to do it before injuring my wrist.

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    1. Thank you Jenny. I hope that your wrist heals so that you can cross stitich again.

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  2. What a beautiful cross stitch picture. I love them but don't have the patience to do one myself. And, you're right. We need to keep God in the center or our lives will veer way off course.

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    1. Thank you, Karen. Have you tried stitching for short periods of time? It's very relaxing and doesn't require much patience that way.

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  3. what a lovely piece of art and the analogy is so right. I'll remember it the next time I take up my own tapestry needle.

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  4. Thank you, Alice. Enjoy your stitching.

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  5. This is so lovely, Ruth. Out of all the hobbies and crafts I've tried, this is one I confess to never having tried. Maybe, just maybe, I should give it a try. But I will remember the cross in the middle - as I try to keep it in my writing as well.

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