Loose ends. Frayed threads. Separated strands of life dangling mid-air. Waiting. Hoping. Praying that somehow, some way they might be found by Master Weaver. Touched by the Master Weaver. Worked into a portrait of grace by the Master Weaver. Some day by the Master Weaver… loose ends tied up and woven as purpose into a story that currently doesn’t make sense.
Loose ends. I have some. How about you? Any dangling unknowns hanging around your heart, your mind, your soul? Any situations, complications that you’re still scratching your head over, wondering what in the wide-world-of-lovin’-and-livin’-Jesus was that all about?
If I could peel back the layers of my heart and give you open access to my loose ends, you might be surprised by what you’d see. My frayed threads aren’t pretty; not yet. Safe to say, ministry days can be hard days. I know you understand. You’ve probably had a few, because as Christians, we cannot escape our ministry days. They are our assignments. The message of the cross is our requirement, regardless of the pulpits that rest beneath our feet.
Ministry is not always well-received. Sometimes it is rejected; sometimes by those you trust most fully with your heart, your story, your faith. And if you’ve loved well in the midst of your ministry days (loved intentionally and without boundaries), then your heart aches, your heart breaks with the rejection… just enough to make you scratch your head a time or two and offer a few questions to the Master Weaver.
Really God? This? After everything else? Seriously?
“Seriously. After everything else. This. Really. Now about your faith, Elaine? I’ve got a few questions of my own.”
And so we talk about ministry days, back and forth, forth and back, the Master Weaver and me. And I pray for more strength, more obedience, more endurance to see the thing through. More hand-to-the-plow fortitude and more long-term visioning to match the faith of my spiritual ancestors—those who, perhaps, scratched their heads and offered their questions but who did so while moving forward… always forward, always proclaiming the God of their youth… the God of their forevers. And in this prayerful exchange between the Weaver and me… I give my messy, frayed, and separated loose ends to him because none of them currently make any sense to me. And I say the only words I know to say…
I trust you, God. I trust you, God. I trust you, God.
Over and over again and then some more I repeat these four words, believing that if I just say them enough, I might actually arrive at a point of doing them… of trusting God. And this one act of obedience, sweet companions on the journey, feels something like faith. Just a little bit of faith; just enough to keep me moving forward with hope.
I don’t know what trust has become difficult for you in this ministry season… what loose ends have attached themselves to your faith, but I do know the only One who is capable of weaving them into something more than the confusing mess that is currently swirling around your heart. I don’t know the “how and when” behind it making sense for you… for me, but I whole-heartedly believe that the Master Weaver hasn’t left the loom. God is still in the house, still weighing in on our loose ends, and still heavily invested in our spiritual progress.
If I didn’t believe this, my loose ends would be the death of me. Instead, they have become my lifelines… my link to the Almighty. To let go now would be to let go too soon. Instead, I’m holding on to them for dear life. I know that it won’t be long before the Master Weaver will also take hold of them, and when that happens, I will touch the hands that have touched the cross. Hands of mercy, grace, and love. And I will begin in my understanding, because life starts making sense when Jesus is attached to me.
Hand to hand, with all loose ends in between.
As always…
Peace for the journey,
Simply beautiful. I know the Master Weaver will not let the loose ends become threadbare.
You're in His Hands, and I'm continuing in prayer.
Love you.
Joy
I really have to think that He IS holding the other end of the loose ends, and one day will give a yank and pull out the slack and dangle which then becomes that beautiful tapestry that we can't see right now. In the meantime, yes, we say "I trust you God". I often (just last night in fact) add, "I have staked my life on trusting in You." I recently responded to a situation of desperate need in a way that for me, as a Christian, was a natural as breathing. We expect a lack of understanding in ministry from those outside our family of faith, but it can be a painful puzzle when those who have the same marching orders and read the same Bible question and reject our actions. It's time like these that we must remind ourselves Who we serve and Who we answer to. Philippians 3:10-12. Whatever your current situation Elaine, you are so right…the Master Weaver hasn't left the loom!
I dare say there's going to be a chorus of "amen!"s to this one, Elaine. Myself, I've come to believe there are no "once-and-done"s this side of heaven. About the time I tuck away the issue that most troubled me yesterday, I discover that it has managed to sprout roots and resurface in another form, another day. Egads! Roots & webs are loose ends for sure.
But this I also know: the loose ends in your life and mine are having their perfect work, and that's to drive in a direction we might not have traveled otherwise. And we find He's there. Always there.
You've been on my mind this season, girl. I know you have had a good many (oxymoron) seasons of heartache and pain. The Master Weaver certainly has an amazing creation taking form … loose ends and all.
Love you,
Kathleen
Love the thought that our loose ends can also be lifelines, links to the Almighty. What an encouraging and comforting way to think of them. Praying for you and your ministry situation, Elaine…
Praise God for His continued work at the loom, making something beautiful of our loose, sometimes frayed and tattered threads. Yours is no doubt a gorgeous tapestry from His perspective. Praying for you in this season of ache.
Love,
Tracy
Thanks for sharing your faith elaine. For being real. For not being afraid to be real. For always directing those on the journey to trust God. For letting us pray for you and with you and for praying for us, too. Looking forward to seeing the beauty of His handiwork. Love to you.
I so love your words… Your honesty! How we all walk similar yet different paths. I am reminded of this… We see the knots (& the loose ends) God sees the entire tapestry! Yes! The Master Weaver is working a masterpiece in us!
yes. this is so good.
praying with you.
I so needed to read this! In last night's entry, http://advocateofhope.wordpress.com, I am burdened for those who have cancer and wrestle with finding hope outside of the promise of Christ and eternity spent with Him. For a long while now I have wanted to offer a Christian cancer support group and I feel it is time. Your posting speaks to me, "Ministry is not always well-received . . . then your heart aches, your heart breaks with the rejection.." I am not to fear this! My life is a tapestry and some of my loose threads are in need of the Master's hand, He needs to create His artwork in and through me. Let it begin . . . cyndi
Balm to my soul today Elaine! God uses you so very often to minister to my spiritual needs!
I love how you talked about your talking "back and forth, forth and back" with the Lord! I do that a lot also. Wonderful, comforting times!
I've heard of our lives being compared to a tapestry or weaving that we can only see from the bottom while we're here on earth. Mostly all we can see are the loose ends. But God in heaven is seeing the full, beautiful, colorful picture on His side and one day…ONE DAY!…we will see it too. I'm so gonna enjoy spending eternity with Jesus and with you and all my other Christian friends!
Blessings my friend!
Amen sweet sister, amen. Your words, and your beautiful faith bless my heart. I love you.
Loose ends are my offering to HIM for only HE can manage the fray.
I will keep my eyes on the stepping stones in front of me…pursuing HIS Peace, HIS Healing, HIS Joy.
Thank you for sharing your words with us again.
They always minister LIFE.
((HUGS))
i love how you tied together all these loose threads.
He is the sum and total. don't be discouraged, He
is using you as His hands.
…."the Master Weaver hasn't left the room". Oh, Elaine how this encouraged my heart…loose ends and all!
Bless you!
Hugs and Sweet Blessings!
Jackie
Loose ends and frayed threads… yes I have those in my life too, Elaine.
Thank you for putting into words the feelings in my heart about the unfinished business of my heart…
Beautifully said. Whatever it is that you are going through in your ministry, what you call the loose ends and frayed threads of your ministry days, God will prove Himself to you as the Master Weaver. Yes, you are right, He hasn't left the loom.
Much love
Lidia
Oh Elaine, your story is so agonizingly real. I've been there, and you're right, it hurts. Hurts the deepest part of our hearts. Hang onto hope, too, my friend. I can't imagine anyone rejecting your beautiful ministry. Your words always touch my heart. Perhaps they're jealous of you. It happens.
Love you ~ Danie
"So we talk about faith, the Master Weaver and me…" — good line, Elaine. Thank you. Me too.
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
Oh, my suitcase is full of loose ends, just full of them. But I'm thankful for each because they have brought me to 'this' place of faith, trusting each day the HE will hold them and bring purpose to their being! Bless you Elaine! Bless you more and more and more!!!!
Sometimes I feel like it's one BIG loose end, but as long as God holding the strings I am okay with it (i guess) I would like to be settled and have things tied up in neat knots…finished! OR as least heading that direction, Elaine you have blessed me and touched me with another post! Lori
i relate to what you so eloquently said. I am resolved to trust God in the midst of some situations that don!t make sense. I am committed to persevere although it's very hard right now. Thanks for your post that encourages me.
I love to soak in the words God lays on your heart friend. Loose ends connecting us to Him-such a fact. Keep me in your prayers this week…ts lining up to be a tough one. Thanks.
So how are you doing. I wish I could spend some time with you.
Striving to Live out Loud~Pamela
Hey Sweet Friend~
God brought your name to me 3X today [and it's only 9:45AM]so I came on the blog just to give you a [[[BIG HUG]]]!!
I would love to talk with you sometime soon. We will have to make a plan [or not] spontaneous is also good!@
Much Love and prayers……stay close to Jesus!
Living IN the Fullness of JOY,
Stephanie
Psalm 126: 3
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Because … Anguish and JOY dance together!