Hand Sewing and Humbleness
Good day sisters!
Today I want to share a humbling Titus 2 story to encourage you:-)
Brother Jim decided that he wanted extra long shirts to make them a more tunic length for extra coverage (biblically) and because we cannot find such things while traveling, (it's even hard to find them on the internet) I decided to take things into my own hands...literally!
He wears basically the same kind of shirt and has several of them so I took one and cut off several inches from the bottom and hand sewed it to the bottom of another shirt. It's not hard to do but takes quite a while and it looks hand sewn but that's one of the things I love about brother Jim. HE DOESN'T CARE! It could have a crooked seams and be uneven between the front and back (just like the shirt I did :-) and he's just thankful to have it! Just seeing his attitude in such menial things has helped me get over myself in many areas that don't matter!
Hand sewing this shirt (and I will do more) has helped to kill my flesh because normally I would have been able to lay the shirts and materials on my big table, cut it with my quality, sharp scissors and run it through my nice sewing machine in about 15 minutes.
Instead, I was in our van, hunched over the foot of the bed where I had it laid out, cut it with a cheap pair of dull scissors that we've cut all sorts of plastic with, and hand sewed each stitch, taking much, much longer than 15 minutes.
I had to rebuke myself and I thought of this verse...
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1 Timothy 6:17
I didn't think I was highminded but when I examined myself, I saw that I was a bit worried about people thinking I sew really bad, not knowing it was by hand. I also kept thinking about my nice sewing machine and how fast I could get it done if I had it....like I deserved to have it and was above hand sewing or something? I don't really know but I gave myself a rebuke and moved on:-)
I did get a great reward though...seeing brother Jim's thankfulness was well worth it! I'm actually looking forward to doing more:-)
Today I want to share a humbling Titus 2 story to encourage you:-)
Brother Jim decided that he wanted extra long shirts to make them a more tunic length for extra coverage (biblically) and because we cannot find such things while traveling, (it's even hard to find them on the internet) I decided to take things into my own hands...literally!
He wears basically the same kind of shirt and has several of them so I took one and cut off several inches from the bottom and hand sewed it to the bottom of another shirt. It's not hard to do but takes quite a while and it looks hand sewn but that's one of the things I love about brother Jim. HE DOESN'T CARE! It could have a crooked seams and be uneven between the front and back (just like the shirt I did :-) and he's just thankful to have it! Just seeing his attitude in such menial things has helped me get over myself in many areas that don't matter!
Hand sewing this shirt (and I will do more) has helped to kill my flesh because normally I would have been able to lay the shirts and materials on my big table, cut it with my quality, sharp scissors and run it through my nice sewing machine in about 15 minutes.
Instead, I was in our van, hunched over the foot of the bed where I had it laid out, cut it with a cheap pair of dull scissors that we've cut all sorts of plastic with, and hand sewed each stitch, taking much, much longer than 15 minutes.
I had to rebuke myself and I thought of this verse...
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1 Timothy 6:17
I didn't think I was highminded but when I examined myself, I saw that I was a bit worried about people thinking I sew really bad, not knowing it was by hand. I also kept thinking about my nice sewing machine and how fast I could get it done if I had it....like I deserved to have it and was above hand sewing or something? I don't really know but I gave myself a rebuke and moved on:-)
I did get a great reward though...seeing brother Jim's thankfulness was well worth it! I'm actually looking forward to doing more:-)
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Genesis 3:21
I learn so much living this simple life that I thought I knew before, but I guess not. God has a way of chiseling every single little preconceived notion from us and lets us see what really matters. At the moment, while being refined, it can be painful but after going through many years of it, you begin to train yourself to relax and let it be what it is. Let your will go and see what God's Will is.
Brother Jim and I talk a lot about how humbling our life is and it's brought us to a lower level of what society thinks is normal. It's such a blessing though because the less we have of this life, the more we look forward to the next.
Have a joyous evening.
Love to you in Christ Jesus,
Sister Deb
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