Building Muscles

Why it was necessary to use five shades of blue in the Beast's fancy suit coat??

I worked on this relatively large chunk - probably 1/4 of the whole image - last weekend A LOT and let me tell you, my arm was hurting from the effort. Seriously, my elbows, shoulders, biceps and triceps were actually aching! And I got a little cranky from the tediousness of all the colors and their random curvy paths on the canvas. Taking a break halfway though, I looked at the unfinished product, and started to laugh:

Do you see what I see? Because what I see is rippling, bulging arm muscles being formed! I took a minute to marvel at the power of subtle shades of color in creating shadows and dimensions to express and enhance the underlying strength in the Beast's arm.

And then I took another minute to marvel at the way God uses even these tiny stitches and colorful strands and creative projects to exercise my muscles and make me stronger. The up and down motion that my right arm does over and over to pull the thread through the canvas, the constant grip of my left hand and wrist to hold the frame still while I work, the fine motor workout for my right fingers to pinch, hold and direct the needle, the silent steadiness of my left arm to hold the framed canvas up so I can see it and work on it... I'm doing something I enjoy, I'm creating something lovely, I'm meditating on and worshiping my Creator, and in the process, He is building my muscles.

Of course, strength doesn't come quickly or easily. It takes some pain, some risk, lots of trust, and lots of endurance. And in my physical and spiritual daily exercise, sometimes I don't see progress and I lose sight of purpose, and I get weary... kind of like I did in my stitching. But then God reminds me that he is doing the real "heavy lifting" and just asks me to continue to be faithful in what he has given me, and he will carry me... He is so gracious, patient, and faithful. He will finish the work that he has started in me, and it will be beautiful.


Listening to: "Make My Life a Prayer to You," by Keith Green

Three-quarter stitches

Cross-stitches are pretty basic: You've got four holes in a square, and you stitch diagonally to form Xs. It looks best if all the stitches are going the same way, and since I'm right-handed, I typically stitch bottom-left to top-right, then bottom-right to top-left. I like the pattern and rhythm of simple stitches like this...

Some patterns - like this one - add in a little challenge called "three-quarter stitches." You don't go from hole to hole in the canvas... you poke the needle through the material between the holes. It's a little hard, actually; it takes some extra force and focus to push the needle through tightly-woven strands. But it has kind of a cool effect, in that it smooths angles and makes the image look less pixelated. In that way, it is a better stitch to fulfill this special purpose:

Why am I wasting a blog post on a stitch?

There are many times in my life when I fall into a rhythm of doing the same thing - the thing that is most efficient, most familiar, and makes the most sense. And in the midst of my comfortable and predictable work, when I feel pretty confident and competent, I hear the Holy Spirit whisper to me: "Let's mix it up and do something new." New? Why? Things are perfectly fine as they are.

But see, Jesus didn't create me, die to save me, and resurrect to restore me to just have a life that is "perfectly fine." Life shouldn't be comfortable, efficient, and sensible all the time - joy, faith, passion and reckless abandon don't rise up out of that mediocrity. So God mixes it up, and asks us to try a new thing, to consider a different way, to go where we typically wouldn't, to see something that we may have overlooked all together. Sometimes it's not easy - usually it's pretty difficult, actually. It's uncomfortable and challenging, making me sweat and wonder if I'll be able to make it through alive, much less successfully. It takes my trust and dependence on the Lord to a deeper level.

And when I am faithful and obedient to listen and follow Him, I experience a way that is more adventurous and that shows me more of the heart of God. He uses it to develop something new and beautiful in me. Sure, it usually doesn't look like I thought it would (He is constantly revising and refining the pattern I planned for myself)... but it is so much better, and I am so thankful for his wisdom, guidance, and purpose.

Listening to "Red Sea Road," by Ellie Holcomb

The Beast, in Layers

Ok, enough with the background colors already... Do we even remember what this image is about? Right, Beauty and the Beast - that classic tale of unconventional and unexpected love. 

I've turned my attention to the Beast... There are four shades of brown that layer upon each other to create his shaggy head, so it took a couple days for me to complete it. As I worked on his face, I listened to the fabulous soundtrack to the live-action(ish) movie, especially enjoying Dan Stevens' solo, "Evermore."

This image that I'm stitching comes at the moment in the story when Beast realizes he loves Belle, and because of that love he has to let her go... choosing to give her freedom is a frightening and difficult thing, because she could choose to abandon him and forget him. But his love is stronger than his fear, and he does what is right, even if it hurts (or kills) him. What courage! 

It feels like the gospel is in this story... the way selfishness and hatred create a beast, a curse which cannot be reversed except through the pure and true love of another. It isn't a true analogy, because Belle isn't Jesus, she is human and has her own issues to work through... but I'll save those thoughts for when I stitch Belle. :) For now, as I focus on this moment with the Beast, I'm praising the Lord that in my weakest, worst, "beastliest" state, He loves me, and He is faithful and true. 

Listening to: "My Redeemer is Faithful and True," by Steven Curtis Chapman