A little lace music
Sunday November 07th 2010, 10:00 pm
Filed under: Friends,Knit

I’ve been hesitating for the last several hours to write this because it’s not about me and I don’t want to make it sound like it is.

This morning as I was deciding what to wear to church today, the thought came, wear a scarf. Not a shawl today.

And a few minutes later I found myself thinking, I need to knit me a pink scarf, while  envisioning some baby alpaca in my stash I might use for it. It would go with so many things.

Wait–say what? But I *have* a pink scarf. In that shade.  I kind of shook my head at the silliness of the thought.  I had knit it, not only out of baby alpaca, but out of a splurge of royal baby alpaca, Blue Sky Alpacas’ brand, the finest micron-count grade one can buy as far as I know and that my hands have ever felt. I’d knitted it up for my next book project and it was safely tucked away in wait.

But on impulse I pulled it out anyway. Wait–I never ran the second end in? (I always do the first going all the way across as I purl the first row; then it is not only done, there is matching spare yarn in the thing itself should the project ever need mending later.)

Well then. And I ran that remaining end through the cast-off row and put the scarf on. The shade of pink didn’t actually quite match what I had on but I persuaded myself that it was okay and wondered…? as we headed out the door to church. Curious. I promised myself to stay open to whatever might arise.

It was Fast Sunday (details here.)

And one of the people who got up was a man we’d never seen before. He said he and his wife were there on their way to LA. He talked about finding out he was quite possibly going blind, and as a graphic artist, this was a really really hard place to find himself in. (I thought, and for your wife. Very much so.) But after much prayer and working through all the emotions that come with such a situation, he had come to a place (and I imagine from my own experiences he was probably constantly having to work to stay in that place) where he could say, Thy will be done.

He knew God loved him and that was all that mattered.  Between them all, the details would work out somehow some way.

And as he spoke, I remembered a story from a book I had read long ago, written by a woman who raised angora rabbits for the handspinning and knitting communities, the title long forgotten to memory. (ed. to add: I *think* it was “Angora” by Erica Lynne.) She told of a young man who had come to her, hoping that she would make him a soft angora scarf for his grandmother: she was mostly deaf now and mostly blind and very old, but, he told her, and I will never forget the words, “She can still feel.”

Moved, the woman spun and knitted and made him that scarf, taking his love, adding her own, and making it tangible for a lovely old lady she had never met.

I sought out the man after the meeting was over. I told him about my grandmother being a concert pianist and having taught music at the University of Utah 90 years ago, and how she’d picked out my piano teacher–but that I had started going noticeably deaf by my teens.

“Aspirin,” I added. “I was allergic to aspirin.  It took them 17 years to figure it out.” (Actually, thinking later, more than that, I was 31 when a very astute ENT put all the clues together.)

“Aspirin!” he exclaimed.

I told him how much I appreciated his willingness to learn to trust that God knew what He was doing.

And then (trying not to blather) I tried to describe, in as few words as possible, what royal baby alpaca was. The softest of the softest of my favorite fiber to knit.

And then I got to see the love and warmth for her that came across his face as I told him it was for his wife.

That said it all. The impulse was true.

———

p.s. A note to that couple: if the color’s not quite what you want, let me know and I will gladly overdye it for you.


12 Comments so far
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I had one of those moments myself yesterday. While rummaging about for a particular pair of earrings I can no longer wear, I found a teddy bear in a box. Given to me by somebody, when I lived at the Penultimate Apartment. In impeccable shape. And next month there is a “Teddy Bear Concert” at one of the other Christian churches here in Fort Worth. I have plans for that evening, but now I have a bear to contribute (the bears go to bless little children).

You’re right: it isn’t about us standing on a corner saying “behold me, the righteous latter-day Pharisee, do you see what a good person I am?” but about being open to the Spirit. And about sharing those promptings so that other people will recognize them when they experience them, and then act on them and get blessed all out of proportion for the effort expended.

Because God is crazy-generous like that, and He wants us to grow up and inherit the Family business…

Comment by Lynn 11.08.10 @ 5:22 am

Isn’t it amazing when we can be quiet long enough to hear the message that all things fall into place.

Comment by Jody 11.08.10 @ 6:37 am

Beautiful message! Thanks for telling it.

Comment by Joansie 11.08.10 @ 7:01 am

Bless you. I don’t know if I’ve told you that both my father and stepmom lost an eye in separate accidents. My stepmom, a gifted chef and artist, has been legally blind for over two decades. Ironically, her new hobby is beading!

Comment by Channon 11.08.10 @ 7:05 am

as always I’m awed by how “in tune” you are — surely storing up treasure in heaven

Comment by Bev 11.08.10 @ 7:57 am

What a wonderful story. I had a slightly different thing happen to me yesterday. My friend who is a professional photographer came to see my new kitty and she brought her camera and as a freiendly gesture she took a great many photo’s of CASPER. A little ghost of a cat who flits here and there and just appears. (thus his name) While here she spied a hat I had made for myself in shades of turquoise and blues. I had put 4 tassels on it. She tried it on and said I love this, so I told her she could have it. Earlier I showed her a collection of pandora beads that she liked so I took 4 beads, undo the tassels add the beads and redid the tassels.She loved it. I told her not to swing her head too hard as she could knock herself out. LOL. She went home happy and I felt GOOD.

Comment by pat flores 11.08.10 @ 8:12 am

Isn’t it amazing that when one follows the basics of love, how good one can feel about it without feeling smug!

Comment by Don Meyer 11.08.10 @ 10:00 am

Well pooh – All I gave away recently was antacids to the receptionist where my mother lives. She stored boxes for me so I could get my mom’s walker in the back of the car. I came back and she giggled that she had been eying that bottle of Rolaids. She laughed even harder when I left them on her desk.

Comment by afton 11.08.10 @ 6:10 pm

{{{{{{{{{{{{Alison}}}}}}}}}}
It is about you in that you are a vehicle of grace.
Diana, the Pagan who still gets that stuff :-}

Comment by Diana Troldahl 11.08.10 @ 6:15 pm

Where I work, we provide web sites for people. One customer emailed us to let us know he wouldn’t be using his account any longer: he had had a stroke. I told him we’d keep his account going for a year.

He emailed us again yesterday. He’s ready to use his account again, and is pleased it’s waiting for him. I felt as though it were a help to him, knowing he could return anytime.

Comment by RobinM 11.09.10 @ 10:00 am

Lovely story. I am constantly amazed that you just seem to know what’s coming and follow along with it. what will you do about that scarf for the next book now? g

Comment by gMarie 11.10.10 @ 2:07 pm

Bless you and your talent for listening to the vibes that speak to you!

Comment by Suzanne in Montreal 11.18.10 @ 9:39 am



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