Words of Wisdom Wednesday

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."
1 Corinthians 13:4

How many weddings have you been to that have this reading?  Back in the days when my husband and I were getting married, almost everyone we knew was getting married, too.  I can't tell you how many weddings we went to in a 3-year timeframe.  And of course, this was the Bible reading at ALL of them.

BUT...

Did you know this verse doesn't just apply to a married couple?  Not even just a parent and child?  And, not even just to your "neighbor"?

It applies to you.  Yes, you.  You, yourself and you.

I am many things.  I'm a wife, a mother, a homemaker, a homeschooler, a crocheter, a knitter, a sewist, a quilter, a gardener, and now a blogger.  Whew, I'm worn out just typing out that list!  Guess what?  I was new to all of those at one time.  They all take practice and seeking new knowledge to be good at them.

I think back to when I was a child and took piano lessons.  One of the first things the teacher handed me besides my brand new music books was a lesson practice chart for the week.  The goal was to practice at least 30 minutes every day because "practice makes perfect."  I was so excited to learn - I couldn't wait to get home and play!  So I practiced the first day, being so careful to hold my fingers correctly, to practice naming the keys, and to play my two little exercises.  I think I practiced for over an hour.  Then, the next day, when I came home from school, I sat down again, but this time, I realized that maybe my fingers weren't the way they really were supposed to be.  I stumbled on a few notes.  Frustrated, I gave up after a while.  Practicing became more and more of a chore.  Why?  Because I didn't have patience with myself.  Be patient with yourself when you are trying new things. Love yourself, forgive yourself. It's ok to be new and struggle to learn. We all struggle with new things at first, like babies learning to walk. Yes, it's frustrating, but don't give up.


And as for envy, boasting and pride...

Don't be jealous of those who seem to be so good at everything.  Those folks have had lots of practice.  When they learn something new, they can draw on their past experiences and muscular memory to help them through some of those "beginner bumps".  I finally learned to knit because I found someone to teach me a "right-handed" way.  The motion of the needle was then very similar to crocheting, which I've done for over 30 years.  By the way, I'll share that method with you in an upcoming tutorial, in case any of you are "terminally right handed" like I am.

When I think of boasting, I think of those little kids on a playground who shout "nah nah nuh nah nah" then stick out their tongues.  Boasting and Pride have an arrogance to them, but if you've fought a long hard battle, whether it's against a garden full of weeds or a skein full of yarn barf (you knitters and crocheters know what I mean!), it's ok to value your success.  At the end of every day of creation, God Himself sat back and said "It is good."  You can, too.

Well, I need to go finish some quilt blocks.  Hopefully, you got a dose of encouragement today to get you over the hump!
Ann