The Weekly Yarn - January 6, 2010

The New Year brought us a cold night outside and a blessed night inside for our first meeting of 2010.  As we met and talked, more and more women braved the cold to attend the meeting.  We were glad to welcome two new members last night, one knitter and one crocheter.  We reviewed last year’s activities, and all of the new opportunities God will bring us this year.  

I invited our youngest (8 days old) future member as a visitor – Leah.  She hasn’t decided whether she’s going to knit or crochet yet.  Of course Hilary, her mother, came along too.

God’s Bounty:  God’s hand was so evident in our meeting on the 6^th.  The Prayer Shawl cabinet was looking sparse, with eight or nine shawls at the beginning of the evening.  The discussion centered around the upcoming Rainbow Group meeting, and the individuals that would be comforted with Prayer Shawls, as well as additional individuals who had extended family members pass over the holidays.  It appeared the already sparse cabinet would be depleted. 

A few shawls sat on the table in the center of the group as we prepared to pray.  By the time the shawls were distributed, the twelve members in attendance each had a shawl to hold!  Robin prayed that God would order our time so we would be able to meet the needs He brought us, and Dana prayed He would bring us additional yarn to keep us supplied.  As we prayed, two more shawls were delivered and a donation of yarn came in.  God gave us a bounty to pray over.   

Prayer Cloths:  It was discussed and agreed on last night that enough Prayer Cloths will be knitted or crocheted by the first Sunday in October, World Communion Sunday, to offer one to everyone in attendance on that day.  The total needed will be approximately 1400 to 1500 in order to cover the individuals in the Sanctuary, the Upper Room, and the Youth areas.  We have eight months to complete the total required, which means about 200 per month.  If each person on our membership roster made one per week, we will meet our objective.

The Upper Room magazine article for January 6^th talked about doing a big task a little at a time, rather than trying to complete it all at once.  By breaking it down into smaller parts and doing a little each week, this objective doesn’t seem daunting – but very doable.

The verse for the 6^th was appropriately “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:34

Thanks be to God:  In mid-December, the Grief Share support group gave Prayer Shawls to the participants to help them through the holidays, when it is often most difficult to handle their loss.  Several individuals stopped by at our last meeting in December to thank us for making the shawls they received. 

Reynata and Joan stopped in last night to tell us how much the Prayer Shawls meant to them during the holidays, and how they wrapped themselves in the shawls, how they slept with them at times, and felt God’s love many times over the holidays.  We are so blessed to be able to provide this service for God, to share the tears with the recipients of these items, and to feel their grief and relief.

You are missed when you’re not at a meeting.  We hope to see each of you very soon!

Love and blessings,

Beverly

Your greatness is not what you have, it’s what you give. - Unknown