In 2005 we bought this house which was built in 1936. It is an interesting place with a lot of smaller size rooms and unexpected features. There was a red area rug in the dining room with an interesting design that made me think more of tapestries than carpet. Both tapestries and traditional cloth are woven. Woven items use thread in various colours, lengths and strengths for the process. Basically, there is a group of threads called the warp which are usually stronger and provide the base of the material; they are held in place by a loom or other holding device. The weft thread is then passed over and under the
warp threads in the desired pattern.
When I consider my life I think about all the relationships I’ve had over the years, family, friends, co-workers, brothers and sisters in Christ, I see how all our lives were woven into each other’s lives. Some were only there for a short time, others have been around since my birth and there is a wide variety of relationships in between. Yesterday I was reminded we were made to be in relationship by our Creator. He formed man (Gen. 2:7), put him in the garden (v.8) and knew they would be together (Gen. 3:8). Yet despite His own presence, God wanted man to have a helper in life, and so He created woman.
And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. Gen. 2:18
helper= aid
suitable for him= counterpoint, mate
To reiterate, God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone even while He knew they would be spending time together; God didn’t want man to be isolated without other humans for companionship. So God brought the animals and fowls to Adam but “there was not found a suitable helper...” (v.19,20) God wanted man to be in relationship with other man-kind, and so He made woman (v.22) as an aid to Adam and so they could populate the earth (Gen. 1:28) and have even more relationships.
Blessed be God… the God of all comfort, He comforting us in all our trouble, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in every trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2Cor. 1:3,4
Brothers, if a man is overtaken in a fault, you the spiritual ones restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ. Gal. 6;1,2
We are meant to help each other out through the tough times (Jh. 16:33 - pressures, afflictions, anguish, burdens, persecution, troubles) here on the earth. Comfort. Bear burdens. Restore. We are meant to help by speaking the truth in love to each other (Eph. 4:15 ) so that we might mature as the body in unity (v.13) and fit together (v.16). “Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the face of his friend.” (Pr. 27:17), “Faithful are the wounds of a friend…” (v.6). Our true friends are honest and tell us when we need to work on our issues and then stick with us while we work on them!
It is through our relationships with other humans that we grow in Christ into a beautifully woven tapestry at the Lord’s skillful and loving hands. And when that tapestry has the strongest threads of Jesus Christ as it’s warp- base, it becomes a timeless masterpiece of beauty incomparable to any other that will last for an eternity. I am forever grateful for every thread… every precious person who has entered to touch and change my life... one moment and one word at a time.
Lord, all glory and honour belong to You.
Thank You for bringing every person into my life and using them to change me.
Thank You that we are not alone.
We have You. We also have our brothers and sisters in You.
What a magnificent life You have given us!