What craft or hobby would you spend your time on if you had time to spend on it? I would weave baskets. In fact, I planned time in today’s schedule to weave a market basket to sell soon!

Several years ago, my friend Sandy and I went to her friend’s garage where several women had gathered to learned how to make baskets. We received great instruction and left that evening with a completed “jelly basket.” We were certain we were probably the best rookie basket weavers in all of North America, and used that overly confident thinking to propel us into purchasing supplies and making many many many more baskets! We actually did become pretty good weavers! [My mom still has my first basket and quite honestly, it’s not so great! Good thing I didn’t know that at the time!]

As our skills improved, we taught a few classes at a local quilt shop and also enjoyed selling our handwoven baskets at craft shows and home shows. It was a hobby we enjoyed and that allowed each of us to make a little extra income.

While teaching one basket class a few years later, I neglected to take a completed basket with me. This was a big mistake because it was always helpful for the weavers to know what the finished product would look like.

I started the class that evening by telling them that they would need to trust me to walk them through every step in order to reach the goal of a completed jelly basket. Shaping the basket correctly was important in the process of creating a basket that would fulfill its function of holding two full-size jelly jars. Therefore, I would talk them through one step, wait for each of them to complete it and then move to the next step.

One lady in the class was certain she knew what the basket should look like and really didn’t like waiting for the next set of instructions. Despite my encouragement to wait for the next important shaping step, she seemingly wanted to be the first one done and moved forward without waiting for instruction from the one who knew what the basket should look like! The result? Her basket would only hold one jar of the two jelly jars I had purchased for each student to take home with them. She later not only apologized for her actions, but also admitted that she eventually threw out the basket because it really served no purpose and only reminded her of her impatience that evening.

So often I think I know what the “finished product” of my life should look like. I become impatient when things aren’t going at the speed I think they should, and I jump into the “next step” before I am ready to be there. Instead of looking to the One Who knows what the finished product should look like, I act as though I know best how to reach the goal. The problem is, I don’t.

In the current phase of my journey, I would love to know what the completed “basket” of my life is going to look like. But the Instructor is telling me, “Trust me. I know how I want to use the finished product. Without properly shaping it, it cannot fulfill its intended function. Wait. I’ll show you.” And so I wait. I trust. I learn. I become what He wants me to be in order to be used by Him as He plans.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” (Psalm 25:4-5, NKJV)

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Thank you for taking time to read “Weaving and Waiting.” Please feel free to leave a comment!