"overlooking" doesn't make it go away . . . .

Somewhere along my journey it was shared with me that small 'holes' in my project were simply Amish in nature.  When asked what that meant, it was explained that the Amish culture requires them to leave an imperfection or two in any project they are working on - - a quilt, a garment that is sewn, a sampler that it stitched, etc. - -  because only God is perfect and therefore their work shouldn't compete with Him. And perhaps that philosphy may work on a swatch or in the WAY early stages of learning to knit but ... i have found that when i try  to make a mistake 'be okay' by ignoring it, rather than returning to correct  it ... i worry about it ... and i go back and look at it every couple of rows, like i think it may mysteriously melt into the symmetry of the rest of the knitting.

Result?  there's STILL a hole in row 14 of my scarf despite the fact that it is now 6 foot in length.  And somehow that hole now seems to be 5" in diameter .... and 3 rows tall ..... in fact, it's now screaming "hey look everyone!  she can't even knit a row without making a mess of things!" ..... despite my valiant attempts to play it off as a way to 'loop the scarf through and hold it in place' (albeit an awkward placement!) ... there is just NO JUSTIFICATION for an obvious mistake that i should have gone back and corrected before trying to "Hope it would go away" by just conveniently overlooking it!  ... "oops!" is really not a good word in knitting circles, i'm just saying ......

i could try and pick up the stitch, row by row, for all 16 feet of the scarf (which is exactly what it will seem like once it's all said and done!) ... or i could FROG it! ..... you know ... Rip it!  Rip it!  Rip it!   down past where the original stitch was dropped and relax and enjoy the knitting process again! Bottom line:  paying attention and double checking much more periodically makes for a much happier knitter when it's all said and done .... there's NOTHING WRONG with ripping out and starting over, if need be .... mutliple times even! .... and the freedom that comes from ripping back - - maintaining a closer perspective as you are knitting ... sure makes the end of the project a better reflection of the time that you spent.

in fact ....walking with the Lord, each and every day, is much like that knitting process!  there are always messes that i make of things when i fail to acknowledge His leadership and pattern design for my day ... for my hour ... for my every step!  and at the end of the day i could approach Him and simply say "ooops!" but i don't think He's much on my Amish approach to daily living and blatant, obvious holes i may leave ....  when i maintain a closer fellowship and communication with Him, which may even mean Ripping Things Back to clean up the mess i've made, or to learn a lesson from a specific incident or individual, or simply and continually consulting Him on how to Handle a situation BEFORE messing it up - - i.e., which 'decrease' would be best suited for this opportunity, or would He choose a different 'stitch' at this juncture that would highlight Him better at the end of the day .... Because of His faithfulness, He has demonstrated, time and again, that I can trust Him ... He can (and does) read the pattern that He has selected for me ....

  "Therefore we do not lose heart ..... For our light and momentary troubles

are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. 

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal!"

Rom. 4:16-18

  "A man's steps are directed by the Lord."

Prov. 20:24

 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path."

Prov. 3:5-6

He doesn't try to overlook the messes i make or try to justify the imperfections i leave behind ... He has ordered my days .... His atonement for my sin Requires me ... NO, it COMPELS me to check with Him as i'm knitting each step ... so when it's all said and done i will hear Him say ... Well done, my child!