{"id":260,"date":"2016-06-01T19:32:16","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T19:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=260"},"modified":"2017-02-11T05:14:17","modified_gmt":"2017-02-11T05:14:17","slug":"putting-away-the-knitting-needles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/06\/putting-away-the-knitting-needles.html","title":{"rendered":"Putting Away the Knitting Needles"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"OLYMPUS<\/a><\/p>\n

About ten years ago, my mother taught me how to knit.\u00a0 She is a very good knitter, and since we are both left-handed, she was able to teach me when no one else could.\u00a0 After learning how to knit, I had very grand ideas about becoming a fabulous knitter.\u00a0 I would see beautiful yarn at the craft store and buy enough to make a shawl.\u00a0 Or I would pick up two skeins of yarn to knit a scarf.\u00a0 After a couple of years, I had a vast collection of yarn \u2013 but I hadn\u2019t actually knit anything.\u00a0 This yarn collection moved with me from the U.S. to the Middle East, and then back to the U.S.\u00a0 Yet very little knitting was accomplished over the years.<\/p>\n

Recently I decided to give away all my yarn and needles, and thus give up my dream of becoming a bona fide knitter.\u00a0 Truth be told, I\u2019m not a very good at it.\u00a0 I’m average.\u00a0 At most, I could teach you how to do a basic garter stitch.\u00a0 Moreover, I don\u2019t really enjoy it.\u00a0 I wish I did.\u00a0 However, I\u2019m not one to sit for very long, unless I am writing or reading a good book.\u00a0 Otherwise, I am up and about doing things.\u00a0 In fact, I rarely sit down to watch television.\u00a0 The most I can do is sit through a movie rental on occasion.<\/p>\n

We all come to points in our lives when we have to give up our version of \u201cknitting.\u201d\u00a0 We have to give up pursuing things that don\u2019t fit our skills.\u00a0 I, of course, will never advocate for anyone to give up on their dreams.\u00a0 However, I do think that we need to focus on using our God-given gifts.\u00a0 It is important that we spend our time doing those things that we were \u201cbuilt\u201d to do.\u00a0 Sewing machines were made to sew, not to blend food.\u00a0 I was made to write, not to knit.<\/p>\n

There is nothing wrong with admiring other people\u2019s talents, whether they be in music or art or intellectual pursuits.\u00a0 There are many people that I admire.\u00a0 I am wowed by my mother\u2019s knitting and her musical gifts on the piano and the organ.\u00a0 I am impressed by my pastor\u2019s abilities as a public speaker and worship leader.\u00a0 And I am amazed at my daughter\u2019s skills in ballroom dancing.\u00a0 When she dances, it is pure elegance.\u00a0 We should admire other people.\u00a0 And we should tell them so!<\/p>\n

However, when we consider how we are going to spend our time on this earth, we need to take a close look at ourselves.\u00a0 As Socrates said, \u201cKnow thyself.\u201d\u00a0 Those two words that hold a tremendous amount of wisdom.\u00a0 We need to remind ourselves that God created each of us uniquely.\u00a0 We each have certain gifts that are like no one else\u2019s.\u00a0 It is our job to discover those gifts, refine them and then use them to serve the world.<\/p>\n

This week, think about whether you have any \u201cknitting needles\u201d that you need to get rid of.\u00a0 Have you been pursuing goals and dreams that don\u2019t fit your skill set, but yet seem like admirable pursuits?\u00a0 If so, consider whether you instead should be focusing your time and energy on those things that you are suited to do.\u00a0 God has given you gifts that He wants you to use.\u00a0 He has a special purpose for your life.\u00a0 Don\u2019t allow yourself to be distracted from that purpose.\u00a0 If you follow it, you will be happier, more successful and a true blessing on this earth.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About ten years ago, my mother taught me how to knit.\u00a0 She is a very good knitter, and since we are both left-handed, she was able to teach me when no one else could.\u00a0 After learning how to knit, I had very grand ideas about becoming a fabulous knitter.\u00a0 I would see beautiful yarn at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nPutting Away the Knitting Needles - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/06\/putting-away-the-knitting-needles.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Putting Away the Knitting Needles - 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