spinners and weavers

i am fascinated by these spinners of silken threads and weavers of delicate webs. we have this in common. i love to feel the fibers zipping through my fingers changing from fluffy clouds of wool to thin but strong yarns winding onto the bobbin of the spinning wheel. i love to see the pattern emerge on the loom by the repeated passes of the shuttle through the warp threads.

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She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands...

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers...

She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple...

Proverbs 31:13, 19, 22

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have you read all of this passage in proverbs 31? how did this woman find time for it all? ah, go read verse 15, it sheds a little light: servant girls. where are my servant girls?! ;o) i do struggle with measuring up to this woman. but really, one thing i glean from this passage is that i need to be busy serving my family; providing for their basics needs of food, clothing, security. this is my ministry. do i measure up to the perfect woman? no way! but i keep on and rejoice in the role and purpose God has given to me at this time. cloth is woven one thread at a time, back and forth, back and forth. each thread appears insignificant. little progress is made, it seems. like the day to day tasks that i do repeatedly. each glass of juice poured, another meal served, dishes washed, laundry folded...but the tapestry of my family is being woven this way. am i weaving joy into my family with these tasks or am i weaving impatience and discontent? if i am honest, i will tell you that there are both threads in this cloth. but i strive for joy.

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everyday gift: spinning yarns and weaving my family's tapestry