When Things Get Tight

Some time ago I wrote a post called God Knits with Perfect Tension, about how usually when we feel like we have to force something it’s an indicator that it’s our will and not God’s. Recently, however, I learned that sometimes there are times when things get tight and it’s okay.

A Little Background

This week was my vacation but it’s monsoon season where I live, so it’s been too rainy to do much of anything but stay inside. I decided to try knitting a sweater - I usually just knit hats - and already I have learned a lot.

The sweater pattern that I’m following - the Pritchard Sweater for those of you who want to know - starts with the neck of the sweater and increases the circumference of the sweater by a few stitches at regular intervals. Even though I’ve never finished knitting a full sweater before, I have watched a lot of tutorials on knitting them, and know that this is a pretty common way of doing it.

Increase

There are different ways to increase the number of stitches in the fabric you’re creating, and this sweater calls for a kind of stitch called make one. I had never learned how to do this stitch before, so I looked up YouTube tutorials on how to do it. (And I recently discovered Very Pink Knits - if you want to learn how to knit or step up your game, I highly recommend her videos.)

The make one stitch involves using one knitting needle to pick up the yarn in the previous row and then stretching that yarn over your other needle. You then pull the yarn through it from a certain direction, in a certain way, depending on which direction you want your fabric to expand.

In one tutorial I saw, the instructor said, “If this stitch feels easy for you, you’re probably doing it wrong.” That’s because you’re stretching the yarn from its current and already established position and forcing it to make room for more. Naturally, this makes your work feel tight at first. But it’s not because it’s incorrect - it’s exactly what the pattern calls for, and it’s necessary to complete the project.

When Things Get Tight

These are tough times for a lot of people, and I just want to encourage you. Things may seem really tight right now, but sometimes the pattern (God has great things in store for you, you know) calls for more. More hope, more life, more abundance - and God is stretching you to make room. This stretching might be painful in the here and now, but it is never aimless. Just like knitters use make one left and make one right to guide the fabric into the right place for expansion, God is moving you in the direction He wants so He can bless you.

Seasons of intense pain often precede great joy. Just like the yarn stretches to accommodate the creation of a new stitch, a woman’s body stretches to accommodate the birthing of new life when she gives birth to a child. Childbirth is often considered one of the most painful things a human can experience, and yet the joy of that new life makes the pain worth it. Most mothers would be willing to die for their children without hesitation - proof of how much they value the child it hurt so much to bear.

If you’re suffering right now, I hope this post gives you some hope. Like I wrote about when I discussed the wilderness, I believe that suffering is temporary - not forever - and that it prepares us for great things. So don’t give up. Just like David says in Psalm 30:5b:

Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

Just remember - when things get tight, it’s preparation for the increase!