Whenever I see a crocheted afghan, I think of my grandmother and of the ones that she made for me. I have three or four that I cherish and will pass on to my children one day.
This week, I noticed that two of these beautifully hand-crafted blankets had been donated to a thrift store. How wonderful it will be for someone to have one of these priceless creations! On the other hand, I sadly question the reason why someone would give away such an amazing gift.
I would like to share with you some of my thoughts…
Whenever you make something for someone, you have thoughts of that person during most of the process. Your initial reason for wanting to create something for that person is simply LOVE. This makes me think of Jeremiah 29:11 in which the Lord says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
The plans that God made for us were for a life of good... a gift that we could expect from someone who loves us very much. God not only formed us in His own image, but He also placed inside of us a heart and soul like His own, then breathed His life into us. He had such loving thoughts towards us that He also wanted to give us the gift of life with Him forever. So, in carrying out His plans, He sacrificially gave to us the gift of everlasting life, with the benefits of love, joy and peace. During the unfolding of His plan, His mind was never on the pain of carrying it out, but on each one of us, individually.
Now, back to the afghan. I know that my grandmother’s hands grew tired. Perhaps she had arthritis, and sometimes she may have experienced pain. She may have had a plan to finish the afghan to give it to me in time for Christmas or my birthday…so, she spent hours of her time crocheting instead of doing something she may have wanted to do. I know that the kind of love that is wrapped up in an afghan like mine required an amount of sacrifice. It is a beautiful statement of her love for me…just for me. It is the kind of love that was placed in her heart by an amazing, awesome God that also loved me so much that His plans included a grandmother like my Meme in my life.
I still look at the many loops and stitches in each afghan and wonder who it was for, how long it took, and try to understand why it was not kept, valued, or cherished. But then, I think that if it had not been for Christ’s rejection by the Jewish people, then perhaps we would never have experienced His love and salvation.
As I wonder who will purchase one of these works of love, I have hope that they will enjoy the warmth and beauty of this unique gift of love.
Be blessed In Jesus' Name,
Angie
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