Happy Friday everyone! We are linking up with Kate Motaung and the Five Minute Friday gang. We link up here and share together on our writing prompt for the week. This week’s prompt is: FOLLOW
GO
Frustration was mounting and it just wasn’t making any sense.
“I don’t even understand how to do this!” I mumbled in the corner.
Dave in his most supportive but cautious tone piped in, “I don’t know… You’ll just have to trust the pattern. Follow the directions… I’m sure the person who wrote it knows what they are doing.”
Here I was knitting my first hat and I wasn’t getting it. Of course I didn’t choose anything simple like a straight or simple seed stitch. But instead I took on cabling for the first time along with other difficult stitches. My philosophy — “Go big or go home” and at this point I was ready to go home! I was ready to give up and be done with it!
Sometimes we can feel this way about our own lives.
God moves us into a new direction and we are unsure of what He’s doing because we haven’t been this way before. This is new territory and we don’t see what He’s doing or even understand.
This is when we trust the Pattern Maker and follow the directions given. The One who has laid out the directions knows what we are becoming. He knows the finished work and the steps it’s going to take for us to get there.
In the midst of the pattern building we can’t always see how it’s all coming together. We only see the knits and purls of the row and simple stitches we just made. But as each row builds upon the next we see a beautiful pattern forming and the stitches come together row by row.
Our trusting skills are growing as we keep following the directions stitch by stitch. We can fight and scream out in frustration and we might even have moments where we want to rip out the work and begin again… making our own pattern out of what we know and understand.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” ~ Isaiah 30: 21 (NIV)
I knit that hat of mine about 6 years ago. It took time for me to understand the pattern and my hubby heard many frustrating moans of, “I don’t get this!!!” Hubby would just repeat… “Follow the pattern. Trust the pattern!”
It wasn’t always easy and I had many frustrating moments along the way. But I kept at it and as I did, I began to see the pattern emerge. I continued to knit as the pattern formed row by row, stitch by stitch.
It is now my favorite hat. I run my fingers along the stitches and remember the frustrations of those knitting together moments. Those moments of frustration built trust in the Pattern Maker.
I followed the pattern and it is now a reminder of sticking at it. Follow the Pattern Maker right to the end.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
My prayer for you in those frustrating moments when you don’t understand and you can’t see what He is doing, trust the Pattern Maker in your life. He is working through all things to bring about the good in your life. You can trust Him. He knows what He is doing and He is good at what He does! Trust His working out process, stitch by stitch and row by row. As you continue on in following His direction you will see the pattern emerge and it will come together! Trust Him and you will see!
We would love for you to join the conversation below ~
- What are tips or encouragement you can share with us about following the pattern maker?
- In what ways is God growing you in this area?
- How can we pray for you?
Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy the sunshine and have a great weekend!
(Linking up with Be Salty for the weekend. You can link up with us over there as well)
(Linking up with #Compel ~ my tip used was adding pictures)
Tripping Over Typeset 
Follow the Pattern Maker. I love it! What a great word picture. I think that one will stick with me. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Thank you, Elizabeth, for stopping by! 🙂
LikeLike
Yes the master pattern maker! When I was at seminary, we always heard “Trust the process.” There is something holy in trusting the master pattern maker.
LikeLike
Yes! I like that Trust the Process. Difficult to do but so rewarding in the end! Sticking to it and gaining grace to make it through! Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
It’s so hard for me to follow the directions!! I tend to think I have a better way! But inevitably, I find myself backtracking to fix my mistakes. Thanks for this encouragement to do it God’s way!
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping by, Dianne! 🙂
LikeLike
God is teaching me trust His plan and path for my son. It has been so hard to take my hands off the wheel! Thanks again for reaching out and for your words..
LikeLike
Yes, I remember when my oldest daughter graduating and oh what a trusting Him time that was! She has just finished her first year of college on the other side of the country and we have seen growth and comfort in knowing she is right where she is suppose to be! It’s definitely a time of trust building! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rachel,
I enjoyed reading your post today. It was beautifully written and very inspiring. Your message today encouraged me to trust God with my whole heart, because He knows the good plans He has for me before they even manifest.
LikeLike
Awesome! So glad it was an encouragement to you! Thanks for stopping by and jumping into the conversation!
LikeLike
Nice analogy of following the plan of the Pattern Maker. I like how we can find God in just about everything we do, if we’re looking for Him. 🙂
Lovely post, thanks for sharing.
Blessings!
~ Brenda Ottinger
LikeLike
Thanks for stopping By and jumping in the conversation! Have a great weekend, Brenda! 🙂
LikeLike
Love this, Rachel! Such encouragement. It makes me think of the pattern of trust He has woven through my life…how through doubt and fear he had always proven that His way is higher and best. I’ve cried out “why” or “I don’t get it” and all along He’s been doing a great work…finished in His eyes. Thanks for the inspired words…and great hat! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks, Tiffany! 🙂 Every time I wear that hat I think of this whole idea! It’s a great reminder of His work in our lives! Thanks for jumping in and stopping by! Have a great weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rachel, what a great take on our word this week. The verse you shared from Isaiah? I’ve loved that one for years. We don’t always see the way He has us walking in, we don’t always understand the pattern He’s knitting in our lives. But trust . . . that’s the best way to learn the pattern and to walk in the ways He has for us.
Thanks so much for this reminder. And, by the way, your hat is beautiful. My grandma taught me to knit, but I never got good at it. I love seeing people who create beauty from a line of yarn. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you so much! I love that whole concept as well of making something out of just a line of yarn! It’s very relaxing to me… when it’s not frustrating me! 🙂 Heehee! Thanks for jumping in and sharing! Have a great weekend!
LikeLike
Some people are just better at following directions–I’ve sewn for ever, and when I first started out (I was 6), I would try reading the directions and have no luck–fortunately, sewing patters include picture directions, too. I quickly learned to follow the picture directions. As I grew in maturity and sewing skills, I needed the directions less and less–because I knew how things were put together. But I got overconfident and made some big mistakes and spent lots of time taking out stitches. Now I know that I need to review the pattern maker’s proper order of doing things if I want to save time and do it right ;).
LikeLike
Now there’s a blog post idea just in itself…. reviewing the pattern maker’s proper order of doing things if I want to save time and do it right! 🙂 Thanks for jumping in and sharing… have a great weekend!
LikeLike
I love your example of following a knitting pattern. Been there and been frustrated too! Beautiful writing. A 5MF buddy.
LikeLike
Thank you, Joy, for jumping in and sharing! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
LikeLike
Rachel,
Oh my, thank you for writing this post and sharing it with the Five Minute Friday crowd. This post was so well written and your example really resonated with me. I am a recent college graduate who moved far away for a job, stepped down from a position, and have been looking for a job for almost six months. Prayers for patience, perseverance, and trust in the Pattern Maker would be wonderful regarding a job and moving forward. Thank you for blogging, I’m looking forward to visiting again soon!
Kindly,
Beverly Benitez
LikeLike
Beverly, I am so glad you jumped right in and shared with us. I will be praying for you as you transition through this new part of your journey. God knows what He is doing and what lies ahead for you. Praying for God’s strength, wisdom and peace to be yours as you continue to trust Him and persevere through this time. You can do it and I’m believing for His guidance and direction to be seen in your life. Thanks for sharing and jumping right in! Blessings! Rachel
LikeLike
Visiting from FMF. Nice, nice work on the hat. I say that as a fellow knitter! And what a great metaphor, to trust the pattern. Yes. Thank you!
LikeLike
Thanks so much! That always means a lot coming from a fellow knitter! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
What a neat post! I really like how you drew a parallel between your knitting project and how God works in our lives. “Trust the Pattern Maker.” That’ll be stuck in my head for a good long while. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks so much for stopping by Marie! Have a wonderful week! 🙂
LikeLike