Persian Flaws, Spirit Beads, Humility Squares and Thorns

I was watching a TV program the other day and heard the phrase, "Persian flaw." I had to look it up. The story behind the phrase is that, long ago, religious Persian rug-makers deliberately wove, into each rug, a flawed stitch. This "Persian flaw" was a means of silently, but assuredly, proclaiming the rug-maker's belief that only God's creations are perfect.

Hearing about the Persian flaw reminded me of another story I was told, when I was taking beading lessons in Alaska. When one of the other students opened a new container of tiny seed beads, she discovered a red one, mixed in among all the yellow. Our teacher told her that it was a "spirit bead," and that she should weave it intothe design just as if it were a yellow bead. According to Native American culture, she told us, God's spirit would not enter into anything that was flawless, so a spirit bead was sewn in among the others, providing a flaw through which God's spirit could enter and flow through the bead work.


I became curious; were there other crafts with intentional-flaw traditions? It didn't take me long to find, on the Internet, information about the quilter's humility square. This purposely mis-pieced square was a reminder to the quilter, and others, that only God is perfect, and only God can create something that is perfect.

This concept of the intentional flaw fascinated me. I felt like there had to be some personal application there that I was missing. And then I remembered what the apostle Paul said, when he was speaking of his "thorn in the flesh." No one knows what this "thorn" was, but it was certainly some kind of weakness in Paul's life ... a flaw ... his humility square! He wrote about it in II Corinthians 12:7-10:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I think I found my personal application!

A Devotional Thought on Sorrow

"Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Thy bottle; Are they not in Thy book?" Psalm 56:8 (New American Standard version)

You might remember that I mentioned that I have a collection of sand from around the world. That collection started years ago, when a colleague of mine at George Fox took a ten-day trip to Cairo, Egypt. Although it was a business trip, he anticipated having a great deal of free time for sightseeing. I shared in his excitement, because I, too, had always wanted to see the sights of Egypt.

When he asked me what he could bring back for me, it took only a moment to reply, "A little bottle of sand from the desert, near the great pyramids!"

When he returned, I was thrilled that he hadn't forgotten my request. I kept my bottle of Sahara sand at my office for years, and hardly a day went by that I didn't take it down, open the lid, and entertain a little daydream about the fascinating country from which its contents came.

Perhaps because of this, when I read, in Psalm 56:8, that God puts my tears in his bottle, I was especially touched.

I wonder if seeing that bottle of tears prompts God to think fondly of me each day.

Do you suppose it's a graduated bottle, so that God can measure my sorrows?

And He must have known, even before my birth, just what size bottle to select for me. What a comforting thought! That means that God has placed a limit on the number of tears I will shed in a lifetime, for surely he wouldn't let my tears overflow His bottle.

David was writing poetically, of course, when he penned this psalm. But the underlying truth is that God does care when I'm sad. Best of all, He promises that a time will come when I will weep no more: "And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain. . . " Rev. 21:4). I'm eagerly awaiting that day, but until it comes I am comforted by the thought that God is saving my tears in His bottle.

The Burning of Zozobra

Old Man Gloom a.k.a. Zozobra burning at Fiestas de Santa Fe, September 8, 2005. Photo by Jeff Weiss

Did you wake up yesterday morning with a renewed feeling of hope? Did it feel like some burden had been lifted from your shoulders? Well, the people of Santa Fe would tell you that your relief came from the burning of Zozobra, on Thursday evening.

Every fall over 40,000 people go to Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe to watch Zozobra, a 50-foot tall effigy (also called Old Man Gloom) burn. Zozobra's burning kicks off the Fiestas de Santa Fe, a three-day festival that started in 1712 and originally celebrated the retaking of the city, in 1692, by Don Diego de Vargas after the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. Zozobra, though, was a late-comer to the festival. His burning has been a part of the Fiestas for only 83 years - since his first appearance in 1924.

Zozobra is a giant, animated marionette that waves its arms and growls and moans all day before he is set afire. He is grotesque looking, as Old Man Gloom should be, I suppose. According to the tradition, as the flames devour Zozobra, they also devour all of the gloom of the preceding year, leaving everyone with a fresh outlook on life.

I've never gone to Old Man Gloom's burning. I saw him one year, and heard his mournful growls, while he was hanging and awaiting his fate, but didn't stay in Santa Fe for the evening festivities. This year I thought maybe I'd go up for it (a challenging picture-taking opportunity). But it turned out that Zozobra was torched on the same night as the Evening of the Arts, which I didn't want to miss.

In New Mexico's 300+ years of recorded history, a culture rich in Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Catholic influences has evolved. Zozobra is a prime example of this cultural potpourri. As fascinating as it is, and despite the festivities and the lore surrounding Zozobra, I wouldn't want to leave the impression that the burning of a 50-foot marionette, made of wood, cloth and paint, has any real power to dissipate gloom or renew life.

Oh, but wait . Here's the good news. There is a way that leads to such a new beginning: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:4

The 32 x 32 Rule - A devotional thought

We had a friend once, named Brad, who told us this story about himself.

When Brad was in high school his blue jeans size was 32 x 32 -- a 32-inch waist and a 32-inch inseam. Determined to keep his trim figure, he resolved never to let his waist size grow larger than his inseam.

However, during his college years Brad found his weight creeping upward until he couldn't avoid going to a 34-inch waist. To keep from breaking his resolution, he purchased size 34 x 34. The jeans simply bunched up a little more at his ankles, and he was able to convince himself that they really did fit just fine.

After Brad married, he continued to put on pounds until, finally, he had no choice but to purchase blue jeans with a 36-inch waist. When he tried on a pair of 36 x 36 jeans, even he had to admit that they looked ridiculous. He couldn't possibly wear jeans that long. Sadly, he realized he'd failed to keep his resolution. Once he had accepted that fact, he had no reason to continue the original pretense of a 34-inch inseam, so he purchased jeans that truly fit - 36 x 32.

Brad's story makes me laugh, but, at the same time, I can't help thinking how similar his responses were to those we sometimes make in the spiritual world. Most of us live our lives by one or more of the following "blue jeans principles":

1. The 34 x 34 Rule - Rationalization: "If I don't measure up to God's expectations, change God's word to fit my life rather than change my life to fit God's word." (Read I John 1:8)
2. The 36 x 32 Rule - Resignation: "If I don't measure up to God's expectations, maybe the whole effort isn't worthwhile, anyway." (Read Hebrews 10:36-39 and Hebrews 12:1-3)
3. The 32 x 32 Rule - Repentence: "If I don't measure up to God's expectations, I need to 'resize' my thinking and 'shape up' my life." (Read James 5:16-20)

Just as exercise and good nutrition could have brought Brad's waist size back in harmony with his inseam, so repentance will bring one's spiritual life back in harmony with God's expectations. Rationalization and resignation, on the other hand, both lead to failure. Remember 32 x 32 - it's a good rule to live by.

Love Letters - Some Devotional Thoughts

Our friends, Ken and Gloria, celebrated their anniversary one year with a vacation at the beach. On their last evening, Ken taped a romantic card, with a loving hand-written inscription, onto the vanity mirror for Gloria to discover the next morning.

In the morning, after a quiet breakfast at a favorite cafe, Ken and Gloria started home. When they were a few miles down the road, Ken leaned over and kissed Gloria on the cheek. "Did you like the card?" he asked with a sheepish grin.

"Card? What card?" answered Gloria.

That's when Ken realized he'd made a major blunder. His card, which had been taped to the mirror at eye-level for his 6' 5" frame, was well above Gloria's line of sight; Gloria stood only 5' 2". Ken blushed as he thought of the motel maids, who were probably, at that very moment, giggling over the romantic words he had intended for Gloria's eyes only. His intentions had been good, but his effort had been wasted.

Isn't is a blessing that our God, whose ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), bends down and places his expressions of love squarely in front of our mortal eyes? He commissioned prophets to deliver to us the greatest love letter ever penned - the Bible (Heb., 1:1,2). He sent heavenly messengers to us, with good news of great joy (Luke 2:9-13). He created a dwelling place for us, teeming with life and abounding in beauty (Gen. 1:30). And he gave us gifts - exceedingly precious gifts - His son and His spirit (John 3:16, Acts 2:38).

I believe that Heaven holds wonders beyond my wildest imagination. But one thing has not been left to my imagination - God's love. It's obvious. It's unfailing. It's perfect. It's directly in my line of sight.

Monet's Choice - And Mine

I don't know much about art, and almost nothing about art history, but I do have a favorite artist - Claude Monet. I love spending time in a book I have, that tells about his life and shows pictures of him, his family, his gardens and his paintings. Some years ago I wrote the following devotional thought based upon some information I learned about his life. I hope you enjoy it this Sunday morning. -- Linda

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Can you imagine a man with two passions in life - light and color - losing his eyesight? Such was the case with the famous French impressionist, Claude Monet. Monet devoted 25 years of his life to creating a floral paradise on his country estate in Giverny, and putting onto canvas his impressions of the beauty around him. Then, when he was in his sixties, cataracts began to form on his eyes, and his vision began to fail. Monet continued to paint, but his paintings grew darker, and objects grew unidentifiable. Within a few years he was almost totally blind, and his canvases were covered only in dark, swirling shades of red. His paintings were accurate images of his own distorted impressions, but they bore very little resemblance to reality.

In 1923, at the age of 83, Monet, somewhat fearfully, agreed to allow a physician to perform cataract surgery on one of his eyes. It was a success! Monet's clear vision returned, and his paintings were filled once again with what he loved most - dazzling splashes of light and color inspired by his gardens. Following his surgery, Monet spent the last three years of his life completing what is now considered to be his crowning achievement, the water lily collection.

Every one of us begins life basking in God's light. But, as sin distorts and clouds our spiritual vision, darkness prevails. Spiritual darkness results in guilt, depression, confusion and, ultimately, death. Monet could have chosen to do nothing about his blindness and to surrender to darkness; but he yearned to return to the light. Surrender to darkness or return to the light - it's the same choice we face, spiritually, when we consider God's gracious offer to bring us out of darkness and into His glorious light.

I Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has calledd you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

en·cour·age

1 To inspire with hope, courage, or confidence; hearten.
2 To give support to; foster.
3 To stimulate; spur.
(The American Heritage Dictionary)

Almost every morning, when I pray, I ask the Lord, “Please help me be a blessing in someone’s life today.” But there are days that go by, when I just don’t see an opportunity to accomplish this goal.

Yesterday, as we were on our way to the restaurant for our Saturday breakfast, Dan told me about a certain man at church, who has been such an encouragement to him the past few months. And that’s when it struck me - this man has been a blessing in Dan's life through the simple act of encouragement.

Maybe I have been thinking like Naaman, in the Old Testament, who almost missed out on being cured of his leprosy, because he thought the prophet’s instruction, to dip seven times in the River Jordan, was too simple to accomplish a miraculous healing. His servant girl had to admonish him, “Had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash and be clean?’”

Similarly, Naaman's servant girl, if she were by my side, might be telling me, “Had God told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when He asks you to be an encourager?” I can be an encourager every day in someone’s life, if it’s no more than sending a note card when someone is ill or letting someone know that I've noticed their good work.

Seeing opportunities, every day, to be a blessing in someone's life has just become a much more realistic and achievable goal for me.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)