Momma’s sticker.

Recently an old friend of mine came back into my life.

Meet Ma’s Old Sewing Machine:

Back when my grandmother purchased this, it was the crème de la crème of sewing machines.  This Singer had all the bells and whistles; so many, in fact, that I still don’t understand the depths of its potential.

And it’s made of metal.  Metal!  Not plastic.  So on Monday I took it apart, dusted it and oiled it.  Works like a charm.  This baby was built to last.

Yesterday I began the process of sewing a burlap lining to one of my bamboo shades.  After busting three needles, I finally finished that one shade (and sent Brian to the store for more needles).  (For the record, that shade is 120″ long.)

What’s particularly encouraging to me about this sewing machine is that when I feel frustrated with my project, confounded by the fact that I’m flying blind, with no pattern, and all I’ve got is the meager hope that this isn’t a total waste of time, I see a little sticker that my Momma put on this sewing machine when I was a young girl:

“Yes, I can with Jesus.”

Oh, gosh, that’s so good for my heart.

You see, Ma passed her sewing machine on to Momma.  When she was a single mom raising the three of us, Momma went through what we call a “sticker phase.”  (She put stickers on e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.)  Those were very hard times, times that would have caused even the strongest women to throw their hands up in defeat.  But seeing this sticker reminds me that hope was still present even when life seemed grim.  Momma just had to remind herself of the truth, “Yes, I can with Jesus.”  She can and she did.

Second of all, I have a tendency to want to pray to the Lord for the big issues – the cancer stuff, the relationship stuff, the nightmarish stuff – but I can forget to include Him in the everyday moments – the mountain of laundry, the decisions regarding birthday presents, the panic attacks over renegade super glue.

But check out this conversation that I had yesterday with one of my clients:

Me, “I don’t need to be entertained.  When I go home the TV stays off, the radio stays off.  I love being in silence, left alone with my own thoughts.”

  Him, “Do you find when you’re left alone with your thoughts that you tend to worry more?”

  Me, “No.  I mean, this morning I started worrying about something.  But then I just stopped and prayed about it instead.”

And even though it was a *little* thing, my worrying had started to make it a *bigger* monster in my mind.  Praying deflated the emotional burden; and shortly after, the matter was peacefully resolved.

That *little* burden could have been likened to a pebble.  It’s not too wearisome to carry one pebble in your pocket.  But maybe I have a lot of those “pebbles” in a sack on my back.  That’s heavy, right?  So what’s the difference if I’m lugging around 2,000 little pebbles or one big boulder?  Weight is weight, right?  Small prayer request, big prayer request… doesn’t matter, cause it ALL matters.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28

Yeah, Momma!  Yes, WE can with Jesus!

Thanks for the sewing machine, Ma.

And thanks for the sticker, Momma.

(PS: Here’s one of my favorite videos of Brian “Head” Welch, formerly in the band Korn.  Apparently Matthew 11:28 jumped out at him, too.)