{the} weaver

I have been thinking a lot lately about a Corrie ten Boom illustration. It has quite grabbed me in this new year. I think it's grabbed me because of the happenings of my life currently. I've known this illustration/story for many years now but it's been fresh to me in the past weeks. I believe God has made it afresh to me. I believe it was a reminder, a word I needed. I shared it this Sunday in our invocation, maybe you need this word as well.

The basic story goes that as Corrie would be at various speaking event she would grab this piece of cloth and turn it over and over showing everyone the front and the back as she quoted The Weaver  by Grant Colfax Tullar. Elizabeth Elliott(how fitting this story is when you know her life story) retells a story of a late night encounter with Corrie, she says : She took out of the suitcase a square of satin with what looked like a totally meaningless jumble of thread, which she held up for us to look at. She said, Now look at this jumble of threads. It doesn't seem to have any meaning to it whatsoever." But then she turned it to the other side. On the other side was a beautiful embroidery depicting a golden crown. Then she repeat for us the lovely words by Grant Colfax Tullar.

The Weaver
My Life is but a weaving
Betwixt my God and me;
I do not choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the underside.

Not 'til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unfold the pattern
And explain the reason why,

For dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
in the pattern He has planned.