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Sunday, November 22, 2009

A Special Kind of Prayer Shawl

Still have time to enter the contest and win a nice 'knit kit' or some stash yarn from my stash to yours!

The prayer shawl in the picture was started last Sunday during church. I like to sit in the back and knit. It's not that people can't see me, but sitting in the back is less distracting and the prayers of the people can still reach what's on the needles. It was easier at the other church because it's a lot bigger and sitting in the back was like sitting in a cavern. At the new church, people can easily see.

This prayer shawl is special because it is the first one I knit for someone at the new church. There are prayers and good wishes for the recipient knit into it, but there's also relief and relaxation knit into it from me. I just feel so much better.

It's going to a woman who has come to that time in her life where she can no longer make all her own decisions. She suffered a fall and her husband is also in poor health and they can no longer live alone. She's in her upper 80's and she's reached that point.

God bless her life that she has been able to live it in her own way for so long. The most precious gift we have is the ability to self-determine. To be able to decide for one's self how their life is going to go. And the second precious gift is having loved ones around you when time and nature start to remove that ability from us. So we are not abandoned and left behind but that we are given as much of the ability that can be had so we may continue with dignity and integrity.

I hope this shawl brings her comfort and keeps her connected with a church family that has been a part of her life for a very long time. And I hope it keeps us connected with her that we remember her in our prayers and in our visits and that we pray for everyone to live with grace no matter what our age. That we live our own lives that way so we are so filled up that we overflow with it and others can benefit from the excess of our blessings.

My blessing is to feel a part of something again and to move one step closer from walking away from a bad habit. Thank God I could make that determination for myself.

6 comments:

cici said...

i have tried to knit in church, but my mother doesn't approve. Perhaps if I tell her it's a prayer shawl and lot of well wishes go into it if you knit it in church, she might be more open to it. Thanks♥

Mistrmi said...

This moved me to tears, as my 80-year-old mother, still living on her own, was suddenly hospitalized. I'm 6 hours away, and, until I could get there, her church family took care of her. Thank you for doing this for your church friend.

Beverly said...

It's great to be able to do something that might bring comfort. The pastor placed the prayer shawl in a table and during communion, people came up - took the bread and the wine and then touched the prayer shawl to add their blessing to it.
Quite the moving moment.

Thanks, KSD, for your comment.

Beverly said...

Hey cici;
I have to admit, it's a little different in the new church, but I did confess to them that I started it in church and since it's how i've started, they will just be used to me knitting. at least i'm not in a choir loft where everyone can see!

Seaside girl said...

That is a BEAUTIFUL prayer shawl. My mother would love for me to make her one . What brand and color is that yarn?

Seaside girl said...

I know that this article was posted 5 years ago but I'm hoping the woman that made that amazing prayer shawl would see this and blog back . That prayer shawl is so beautiful and I know My mom would love for me to make her one. What brand of yarn and color of yarn is that! Did you use the trinity stitch as well?

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