The Prayer Shawl

Sometimes it is really hard to finish what we start.  Several months ago I started crocheting a prayer shawl for a woman who I had become very hardened too.  Of course, I had my reasons.  She had hurt me but when we allow our hurts to control us, we are often paralysed.  I felt this way around her - paralysed.  I was letting my fears of her reactions to control my life.  

I genuinely needed to forgive her.  Forgiveness is such a long process and I knew that if I didn't have some source of accountability, I was not going to deal with the problem, thus the start of the prayer shawl project.  You see, when you make a prayer shawl, the point is to pray for the person you are making it for the entire time you stitch.  Honestly, there were times when I was tired of praying for her.  There were times when I stitched just to get it done - in fact I had to restart the project more times than I care to mention.  I also went through a long spell of simply avoiding the project all together.  BUT today, I finished it and I feel like a huge weight is lifted.  

No, I don't think that my making this prayer shawl is going to make me best friends with this woman but I do know that through this, my heart has softened towards her in a way that only God can do.  

I strongly encourage you to take forgiveness seriously and not put things like this off.  Hurts can so easily turn to bitterness and unfortunately, bitterness was where my heart was leaning.  There is freedom in forgiveness.