One evening, my youngest daughter looked at me with the kind of honesty only children possess and said, “You need to create a life!”
Apparently, she thinks my life is boring.
I laughed and asked her, “Do I really have a boring life?”
Without hesitation, she said, “Yes. Because you’re always at home—every day, every night, and even on the weekends!”
I wanted to protest, to tell her that staying home doesn’t mean doing nothing. That behind the stillness, there's something meaningful being shaped—something she's too young to fully see just yet.
The Picture: A Reflection on Life, Embroidery, and God’s Handiwork
I’ve always been drawn to trying new things, especially when it comes to crafts. There's something deeply satisfying about creating with my hands. Recently, I decided to try embroidery for the very first time. Unsurprisingly, the back of my embroidery looked like a tangled mess. But the front? It turned out surprisingly decent.
The project isn't finished yet, but I believe it will look even better once it's complete. I even plan to frame it when it’s done.
As I worked on it, I was reminded of a story shared during our “Food for the Soul” gathering—a story that touched me deeply.
A Story Shared at "Food for the Soul"
That day, a friend shared her own embroidery experience from her younger years. Like me, she said her stitching looked good on the front but was messy on the back. She remembered thinking, “As long as the front looks good, that’s all that matters. No one sees the back once it’s framed.”
Her mother was a skilled embroiderer, but it was her grandmother’s work that truly amazed her. When her grandmother finished a piece, you couldn’t even tell the front from the back—both sides were beautifully done.
Then she said something I’ll never forget:
“We are like a picture that God is embroidering. As we continue to walk with Him, He works on both our good and bad sides. Eventually, people won’t be able to tell them apart—because both sides will reflect His beauty.”
Stitch by Stitch, Life Takes Shape
That thought stayed with me.
When I first began my embroidery, it was just a blank fabric and some colored threads. But stitch by stitch, using a mix of colors and techniques, the picture slowly came to life. The more I worked on it, the clearer and more beautiful it became.
Our lives are like that picture.
God uses many different threads to craft something beautiful within us. Some are soft and light, others thick and dark. And each one serves a purpose:
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There will be dark moments—symbolized by deep, heavy threads.
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There will be joyful times—reflected in bright, vibrant hues.
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There will be painful stitches—those times when life feels like a needle piercing us.
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And there will be quiet seasons—when it feels like nothing is happening.
But every thread, every moment, is part of the masterpiece.
God is the Master Craftsman. He sees the finished picture, even when we can’t. And when He’s done, our lives—like a perfectly stitched embroidery—will be beautiful on both sides. A testimony of His love and faithfulness for the world to see.
So... Is My Life Really Boring?
Maybe to some, it seems that way. But I’ve come to believe that stillness isn’t the same as emptiness.
Every quiet day at home, every stitch in my embroidery, every prayer whispered in silence—it’s all part of something sacred.
And maybe, just maybe, my “boring” life is a beautiful work in progress.
