Tuesday With Teri

          We are attracted to a lack of seams.   We prefer the seams of our garments not be easily visible.  Much anguish has resulted from attempting to hang wallpaper with the seams hidden.  Seamless transitions are always welcome when there is a time for change.

           I can attest to the beauty of seamlessness.  I remember going fishing at night with my mom and dad.   Some nights it would be so dark you could not tell were the black night sky met the darkened bay water.  It made the world before me appear as if it were one huge endless space.  I recall thinking how this was both beautiful and disturbing all at once.  Yes, I can see attraction of seamlessness.  Unfortunately, life itself seldom delivers seamless transitions.

          The pinning together of our youthful years to those of our adulthood is often a jagged and painfully visible “seam”.  I had hoped to transition from being a mother of toddlers to a mom of teenagers with dignity and grace, that “seam” has numerous dangling and tangled threads.  Dare I even mention the inevitable changes that took place when my teens became young adults…yep, more unsightly “seams”.   When friends move away, loved ones pass, or life hands you a new set of circumstances, we try to carry on, and work hard to ease change, and smooth transitions.  We like our life to flow seamlessly.   Lately I have been thinking, maybe we do not need to be avoiding “seams”, after all, God celebrates His seams.

          Take a look around.  Our God does nothing to hide the seams of His creation.  Where the clouds meet the sky…a striking contrast causes awe to those who stop to take it in.  When the suns meets the earth, at dawn or dusk, on land or over water, there is no doubt God is shouting “Hey! Look at this!  Look at My creation!”.  When water meets shoreline, there is always a dynamic effect.  Sometimes it is the whisper of waves lapping; sometimes it is the roar of waves crashing, but it is never unnoticeable.  God shows His seams. 

          Perhaps this is because in the midst of the seams, he shows us His splendor.  Change, transition, contrast and conflict are all a part of life.  It is when we are experiencing such things that we often find ourselves calling out to Him. 

         How much better would it be if, instead of trying to avoid seams, or hide them, we celebrate the place where God brings things together.   It may not be smooth and seamless, but God is crafting us into His plan for our lives   Let us not be discouraged by transition, conflict, contrast or change, for it may in the midst of this that God is revealing His glory! 

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ. ( Phil. 1:6)

Let’s Celebrate the Seams!