Purls from Proverbs - 1

Key Verses - Proverbs 1:2-7

The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. The beginning of knitting is picking out just the right yarn for your project. Many times our intentions are pure as we step inside the local craft or yarn shop.

"I need to get some yarn for the scarf/shawl/blanket/socks...I want to make for So-and-So" we say with a convincing tone to our husband or children or whatever unsuspecting friend who happens to be along for the ride.

But as we step into the aisles bursting with texture and color and potential, our intentions are suddenly forgotten. The wool yarn that is on sale for half price is perfect! Not for the project we are currently working on...it's perfect for...something! We begin to rub our fingers and faces and various other body parts against the yarns, imagining what each ball could be.

Something that was a simple enough task has turned into a tug-of-war between colors, thickness, texture, and price. We find ourselves scanning each aisle several times, picking up yarns over and over and passersby raise their eyebrows as we suddenly stop mid-stride in the walkway to think over our current selections and get lost in our crafty thoughts. Sometimes all we need to do is just focus.

Focus.

"What did I come here for?" you ask yourself after thirty minutes of piling skeins into your basket. Or maybe your focus is snapped into attention by the road weary passengers we have dragged along on this "quick little trip".

It is easy to lose our focus when so many pretty things surround us.

In Proverbs, Solomon tells us exactly why we need to have focus. He tells us why we need to pull out our Bibles each day and focus on the words it speaks to us. It is for wisdom and discipline, to understand the insights of those who are wise. Proverbs teach us to live orderly and successful lives, to help us do what is right, just and fair. Even those who are simple can gain insight and the youngest and most naive among us can increase their awareness. Of course, those who already have wisdom are certainly in store for more of it within the pages of Proverbs.

Reading and reflecting upon God's Word takes discipline, just like any knitting project. Each stitch requires your focus and you must continue to work on it to get to the finished product. Sweaters don't make themselves.

Many times I have dropped a stitch while quickly glancing up at the television or looking to see where my toddler has wandered off to. Sometimes I put my needles down to answer the phone of pick up my crying baby only to discover upon my return that several of the stitches have pulled out. But when I focus on what I'm doing and follow the instructions I'm given, I am rewarded with a beautiful piece of work.

This life takes focus. If we pay attention to the "instructions" given to us by our Father and become doers of His Word we will be rewarded as well with wisdom and will be presented before God as a beautiful piece of work ourselves...without any dropped stitches or holes!