As we approach the middle of the term, I have been struck again by how fast the days fly by and in my office, I hear story after story of what students and their families are going through. Some days are filled with laughter and smiles as I celebrate moments and achievements with both students and staff. Other days are overwhelmingly sad, and I shed tears on my drive home as I reflect on the trials and hurt that some people endure. However, most days are a combination of both, mixed in together like the symphonic cacophony of an orchestra warming up. 

Sometimes, it’s easy to get focused on the sadder moments of life and to keep going back to them. It’s like when we get a minor cut or abrasion, initially we give it the attention it needs; cleanse it, dress it, guard it. We have been aware of it for a few days; we might need to change the dressing, but eventually it heals, and we forget that it even happened. Although we might have a scar that reminds us of the incident. If we constantly return to the wound as we did when it initially occurred, cleanse, dress and guard it, this only distracts us from living our lives to the full, it doesn’t help the wound heal well. In John 10:10, it says:

“¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who assisted many Jews escape persecution during World War 2. Often when she talked with people about their purpose in life and tried to make sense of the ups and downs they faced, she would show them a piece of cloth with a messy jumble of threads that seems to have no order or logic, and she would share this poem by Grant Colfax Tuller with them:

My life is but a Weaving

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colours
He weaveth 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 unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

And then she would turn over the cloth and reveal a beautiful tapestry of a crown and say, “Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted, I know, by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery there is a crown.”

Sometimes we only see the mess in front of us; the messy loungeroom scattered with toys, the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes…again, the washing piled so high we can barely get through the laundry door. Or the yelling match we had with our kids or partner that ended in slammed doors and tears in pillows, and the ever-dwindling bank account, accompanied by text reminders that bills are due. 

Life can be messy, and sometimes it feels like the dark threads dominate the light. We may never know why a scarlet thread has been woven into our lives, but we can trust that God sees the entirety of our life and the beautiful tapestry that is being woven together. We can walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7) if we cling to the awesome truth that He is still in control despite the mess and chaos that can surround us, and He can take any situation and use it for His glory. 

The night before his crucifixion, Jesus said, ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

We live with this hope as an anchor for our souls. No matter how dark life can get, Jesus has already won the ultimate battle for our freedom so that we can live our lives to the full.

This week, as you face the ups and downs of life, may you know the hand of the Creator and glimpse some threads of gold throughout your week, knowing that despite it all, Jesus has overcome the chaos. Be encouraged that even when all we can see is a jumbled mess, our loving Father sees the incredible finished masterpiece that He has purposed for His Glory

Helen Meinel, College Pastor