Potholder Perspectives: Perfection

It was only after I finished stitching the circular pieces of this potholder together that I noticed one was wrong-side out. The undiscerning eye would probably never notice, but I would know.

I'm a perfectionist down to the details, but healthy doses of flexibility and failure keep me in check. As a kid I had an irrational fear of getting in trouble, and so I tried to be good. No, my parents weren't overbearing disciplinarians - in fact, they never pressured me to achieve.

Still, my self-worth was built around performance. I pulled straight A's in school because of this self-imposed drive to do my best, an attitude which transcended many areas of my life. And while striving to do one's best is certainly not a fault, perfection is an exhausting standard to attain. And it was very easy to fall into living like God had the same performance-based expectations of me that I had of myself.

My current job search has afforded many new opportunities to fail. It's hard, but I know it's refining the gold crown of this princess. God promises that I will be perfect someday, yet even now, He sees no flaws because Jesus has reconciled our relationship. It's built on His perfect achievement instead of mine.

2 Cor 12:9 "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (NIV)

So I left the potholders as they were, mistake and all. They'll be perfectly fine.


Pattern Credit: Interlocking Rings Hotpad by Caitlin Pensak. Available at ravelry.com.

Potholder Perspectives: Pieces

This set of potholders has been sitting for six months waiting for their story to be written. Frankly, it has taken this long to find inspiration about what their “P” is. Recently I heard a song play while I sat and crocheted another project, and then I knew what they were for. The song was “Pieces” by the band Red, and for me, it has a lot of meaning and memory tied to it. One line of the song says, “I come to You in pieces, so You can make me whole.”

When I think of pieces, I think “broken” or “separate”. If you’ve been in church any length of time, like me, you’ve probably heard someone talk about brokenness as a spiritual virtue.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart…" Psalm 51:17 NKJ

 Recognizing that I was broken was a key step to understanding my need for God, but now that He’s my dad, I don’t have to be broken anymore! Jesus’ work on the cross accomplished everything needed to make me whole; still, becoming whole is also a process, because sometimes I break myself, or let others chip off pieces.

Religion teaches self-abasement and calls it humility. Acting broken and worthless is not glorifying to God, and I don’t think He wants to break me. Jesus spent his ministry making people physically and spiritually whole!

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” Luke 4:18 NKJ

A one piece potholder is too thin to handle hot dishes - it requires two pieces to make it double thickness – only then can it serve its purpose. God made me whole so I can live as He intended me to! So how do I live as one made whole? What can God do with a life no longer in pieces? Well, He’s teaching me. Piece by piece.

For more great thoughts on being broken vs. whole, check out this link:
http://oasiswell.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/does-god-want-me-whole-or-broken/

“Pieces” by Red


Pattern Credit: Cool Flames Potholder by Julie A. Bolduc. Available at ravelry.com.