Life and Embroidery

Recently I decided I wanted to learn some embroidery techniques. I'm not into very flowery or embroidered things, but I think a little bit of embroidery can make otherwise plain and boring things more interesting.

I didn't think I'd learn a lesson about life from embroidery. One of the first things my teacher told me was that my work needed to look as good at the back of the piece as it did on the front.

I did wonder what the point of this was, but my teacher went on to explain that how you finish off the work at the back will affect how the front of the work looks. Also, if the back of the work isn't finished off properly, the design on the front can come undone, or be more easily damaged in the wash.

Well all very well, but what's that got to do with life? Everything!!

As Christians, we can be very good at putting up a front with other people, we can "talk the talk" and put up a very good appearance of being healthy Christians.

But, if the "back" of our lives isn't as good as the front appears to be, if we aren't spending time with God everyday, if we aren't praying and reading our Bibles, then sooner or later, we will be damaged in the rough and tumble of life, or worse, our lives will unravel all together.

I'm challenging myself today to see if my life in private measures up to what others see in me, and to do something about the private messiness. Because unlike other people, God can see the back as well as the front of my life, and while I may be able to fool other people, I can't fool Him.

For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16 v 7