Coming Up Short!

 

 

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’”*

After Christmas last year, my step-daughter Shanda and I embarked on a knitting project together. It was an ambitious one, especially since she didn’t know how to knit! In addition to that, my knitting needles had sat idle for many years, usurped by writing and various projects. Would I even be able to remember how to knit, let alone teach someone else?

Shanda wanted to make baby blankets for future grandbabies. That motivated me. While neither of us would probably get to see those babies, it was fun thinking about something we could pass along to them.

When we shared Shanda’s idea with her mother-in-law, a skilled and avid knitter, she was eager to help. Ann, who was living in Florida, sent us a pattern for a baby blanket that she had used for her six grandchildren, including Shanda’s two young sons. Along with the pattern, she sent yarn, knitting needles and a kit full of supplies.

 Upon receiving the kit, Shanda began her first lesson—winding 400 yards (four football fields!) of yarn into a ball. That turned out to be very time consuming, especially when there several knots to untangle.

After that was accomplished, she learned how to cast the yarn on to the needle. Then began the arduous process of forming the blanket stitch by stitch. Through all of this, Shanda was very patient and focused, traits acquired through years of being a professional musician.

 “I like this yarn,” she commented. “It makes me happy.”

Dyed with pastel colors of pink, yellow, white, and blue, the variegated yarn was pleasing to the eye. As the months passed, the baby blanket slowly grew in length. During that time however, Shanda’s cancer began to affect her motor skills to the point where she finally could no longer manipulate the knitting needles.

 As I commenced with the project, I realized that the yarn ball was quickly shrinking. Although it was originally the size of a soccer ball, it was now more comparable to a tennis ball. Would there be enough yarn to finish the blanket? 

A quick referral back to the pattern showed that at least two more skeins would be needed. Why hadn’t I checked that in the beginning? Unfortunately, the particular lot of yarn we were using had been discontinued and was no longer available. What to do?

This conundrum took me back to the time when my mom and I purchased some red material for a summer dress. It was on sale, so we bought it not knowing how much was needed. Once the pattern was laid out on the material, we realized there would only be enough to cover the top two-thirds of the dress!

Mom improvised and suggested that we use white material to make a pleated drop skirt which was then stitched to the red mini-dress. It turned out to be unique and cute, although I don’t remember wearing it much!

There was always the solution of using acrylic yarn that didn’t match the original. “The baby won’t care,” said Al wisely!

But, oh how I wished that I had checked the pattern before starting the blanket! A ruffle wouldn’t do, but how about making a fringe on the top and bottom using the basic pastel colors? Maybe…

Jesus gave His followers the example of a builder’s estimating the cost before commencing work on a tower to caution them to think about what it would mean to follow Him. Twelve of them gave up everything they had to become His disciples, while others left when His teaching became too difficult or when circumstances called them back home. Judas ended up betraying Him, and the other eleven fled for their lives when Jesus was arrested.

Afterwards though, the commitment of the remaining disciples was renewed and strengthened so that they were able to follow the Lord’s calling on their lives faithfully to the end.

While we need to consider the cost of committing our lives to Jesus beforehand, once that decision is made, He will give us the power and strength needed to carry it out. There is no coming up short as we trust in Him. And the joy of walking with Him makes it all worthwhile!

* Luke 14: 28-30 NIV