Saturday, April 11, 2015

Knitting an Intimate Marriage

There was a wonderful post today at ForgivenWife comparing knitting a blanket with how we should deal with marriage problems.  The bulb went on in my head, although somewhat dim at first.  After all, in this day and age, how many out there know how to knit?  (To confess: I do--something I picked up from my mother during childhood.  But I have forgotten most of it, there being too much stress in high school for boys who can knit.)  Of those out there who can knit, how many have the patience, let alone the audacity to try knitting a blanket?

Knowing something about knitting, ForgivenWife's analogy made me realize how amazingly similar this is to the task of, not just repairing, but actually making an intimate marriage. I guess one could use a weaving analogy instead; after all, the ancient Greeks used that analogy for describing how everyone's lives are intertwined in fate.  I find, however, that I prefer the knitting analogy much better.  Weaving seems like such an impersonal, mechanical thing, and, to me, doesn't convey the true relationship between husband and wife.

Knitting requires the constant interplay between two complementary needles. They move with a gentle--even sensual--motion as they pass over and around each other, always touching, guided by the knitter through an intricate, yet necessarily intimate dance to produce something unique and beautiful from a simple ball of yarn.

As Christian couples, we have the benefit of the world's greatest knitter, Jehovah. When we allow Him into our lives, we become the needles, and He will guide us through the intricate dance of life to knit a beautiful and unique marriage--just for us--from the simple yarn of love.

This is what makes intimacy so important.  When we refuse intimacy--either giving or receiving--we effectively remove our needle from the knitter's hands.  Granted, although it is sometimes possible to remove one needle and still keep the work intact, it will, at most, never be finished.  And should the other needle also be removed, then all becomes unraveled, regardless of what the knitter might prefer.

As ForgivenWife points out, at times it might be necessary to remove a thousand stitches to fix a problem. But as long as both needles remain willing to allow intimacy between them, our loving God will patiently and lovingly guide them once again though the intricate dance of life, to knit a marriage made even more beautiful by their willingness to keep themselves available to His hands.

And let's keep our crochet examples for single Christians.

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