Lessons from Blackout Curtains: #2

What is the point of blackout curtains? "Obvious", you say, "to block out the light." I was thinking the other day, in light of a few dark weeks I've had (ha... I just noticed what I wrote!)...that in life a lot of times when things are "dark" I don't want to let the Light of the world in. Now in my room, even if I close the curtains and my world is dark, that doesn't mean that the light isn't on the other side of the curtains. The light still exists, even if it goes unacknowledged by me. And truthfully, with the style of curtains I hung in my room, some light does get in around the edges, so really, I can't get away from it. So goes the same in my life spiritually...

When I want to pull away, draw the curtains to close all around me, the Light still is there, whether I acknowledge Him or not. He is still pouring His light into my world around the edges of my blackout curtains, when I selfishly block Him and other lights out, retreating to my cave. And to what good?

The thing with working nights is that I am awake during the darkest hours, and asleep during the brightest hours. I might see light for a couple hours if I am lucky. But how much more grateful I am on my 7 off where I can spend a lot of time out in the light, and I don't take it as much for granted. Its that much more special to me. That relates too with my recent low and "dark" days.... I am so much more grateful for the Light, even when I tried to block Him out, and am trying not to take Him for granted. He's that much more special to me, after brightening my dark days.

Lessons From Blackout Curtains: #1

Since I work on the night shift during my work week, I have been planning for a while to make some blackout curtains to make sleeping during the day easier. (Now if I could just organize that better with the construction crews behind my house.) So in December when I was visiting my fam in St. Louis, I mentioned my desire and vision for my curtains to my sister-in-law, who is a creative genius. We went fabric shopping and I found the perfect color fabric and black-out material to go with it. Though it totaled to be more than I was expecting, buying it was good for me because if I invest in a project, I am more likely to follow-through with it. Several weeks went by...holidays, a trip to Peru, and a few other miscellaneous issues.... and finally a few weeks ago, I took out time for my project.

Let me preface the part of the story where I sewed. The last time I sat in front of a sewing machine was about 13-14 years ago, the year after I took home ec (now called "Family and Consumer Sciences" I believe), so my sewing skills were rusty to say the least. I faced many challenges....and with those, I ended up calling everyone I knew who sewed, even posting on my facebook wall that I needed help. Many were able to talk over the phone, but not being there over my shoulder to walk me through and troubleshoot the machine, it still was a frustrating task. I even consulted YouTube, which helped some, but by the end of the night, when I thought I had it all set-up right, I sewed a few inches and SNAP! The needle broke. The only sewing needle I had.

The next day I got new needles and attempted to conquer this machine again. I found the instruction manual, and within a few minutes, I was sewing. There is a manual for many good reasons! It was so much easier than the night before when a few choice words I spoke out of frustration echoed in my house.

I sewed away, and the hems of these curtains are not even, the lines are not straight, and though I wasn't being a perfectionist with this project, I was still excited and proud of my creation. As I was sewing and thinking about all the frustrations I had, and how imperfect the hems were being sewn, I couldn't help but think of my favorite Psalm, and these verses came to mind:

Psalm 139

5-You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

13-For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14- I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15-My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16a-your eyes saw my unformed body.

It made me think of myself as God's creation, and how He was not frustrated like I was. He didn't break any sewing needles, nor did He need to call anyone for help or consult any manuals. And even if a few hems of me were off and uneven, I am just as He wanted me to be, He is still proud of me and excited about me because I am HIS! I am His creation and He delights in me. As I see my curtains hanging now, it seems like they were always there, they just fit in well in my room, they belong there. He has me here, now where He wants me, where I belong.