One of my hobbies is counted cross-stitch - the more intricate, the better. I belong to a few discussion forums on intricate cross-stitch, and the topic in one recently turned to whether you stitch the face first, leave it to last, or whatever. It's a coincidence they should be discussing that, since I just had to make that decision.
I'm doing a kit, Bucilla's Jesus Christ at 33.
It's not the most detailed chart, certainly not as detailed as ones from Golden Kite or Scarlet Quince, among others (no affiliation). Still, I passed it in the craft store, and it cried out. What could I do?
Now, chart details usually tell you to start in the middle, so the design will be centered, then work your way out from there. But for very detailed charts, with sometimes over 100+ colors, you need a system, or you lose your way fast. One of the most common methods is to do it section by section, left to right, top to bottom. Some stitchers will leave the faces off, preferring to do them last, so the piece "comes alive" as it's finished. Others like to do the face first, so they feel connected to the piece, and are more motivated to finish. The more intricate charts can take several years to complete, so motivation is a big factor. UFOs (unfinished objects) are all too common.
Well, when I brought the kit home, and was separating the floss, looking at the finished picture, a phrase kept running through my head: "Keep your mind's eye on the Lord." It's a paraphrase of something St. John Bosco supposedly said in a biopic on his life. In times of stress, that phrase comes to mind frequently... don't worry about the troubles around you, just keep your mind's eye on the Lord. I decided to do the face first, so as I stitched, I could "keep my mind's eye on the Lord."
It was a bit weird at first, just the cloth, and a few isolated stitches. Bit by bit, you could make out the details of an eye, a brow, a cheek. It slowly took shape. Just a hint of a presence at first. The more I worked at it, the more I focused on it, the more I could see, and the more I could sense He was there.
Life is like that. We're told to "keep our eye on the Lord," but sometimes we can't see anything. Just a blank canvas, with a hint here and there of His presence. If we just go about our business, not really paying attention, we'll just get a glimpse now and then. But if we look at the random stitches in our lives, and work at laying in more stitches, area by area, we can see more of Him. The more we work at seeing Him, the more the canvas gets filled in with His presence. The colors appear richer, the picture more defined, more lifelike. more complete.
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, no matter how hard we squint, we just can't see the true picture at all. We can't make sense of any of it. No matter. If we're faithful about working at it, the picture will come. Stitch by stitch, row by row, day by day -- 'til one day we see Him clearly in the fullness of His presence, face-to-face.
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