Sew Special

Over the weekend I made my two oldest boys pajama pants. This week is Spirit Day at their school and each day signifies a different theme. Monday was pajama day so I literally dusted off my sewing machine and very slowly created homemade pjs for my boys. I have a love/hate relationship with sewing. I am not a talented seamstress but really enjoy creating things for my family. It is one of the most discouraging activities I can do but also one of the most rewarding once it's all done and I have a finished product in my hands.  

At midnight on Sunday, I put the finishing touches to the pants. They were wearing them to school seven hours later. Even those the pattern says it's Sew Easy, for me, I think it's Sew Difficult! Several times when I wanted to give up. Like when the bobbin jammed. And when the needle bent. And when the machine wasn't threaded correctly and I thought it was. And when there were about a million threads everywhere. Sewing is a challenge for me and I don't have any natural skill. I can get so discouraged but then I remember James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of mnay kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." I felt pride looking upon my work knowing I didn't give up. Nate's pj pants were made of light blue flannel and had little lizards in the pattern. It was left-over material from my nephew Josiah's baby blanket. Even though he's a senior in high school, they looked seriously cute on him. He was adorable. It was worth it. 

Aaron's pj pants were black fleece with colorful teddy bears dancing. They looked comfy and hilarious especially when he brought in a stuffed animal and a blankie to complete the look. One of his teachers fell in love with the pants and that's such a satisfying feeling for me as a mom. Those are the moments when I feel that my perseverance paid off. It was worth the toil and time. The same is true for my faith, I must press on in times of despair and uncertainty. 

If you were to look at the pajama pants you would notice they were not made by a professional seamstress. You don't even have to get up too close to the pants and you'd know a real amateur made them.  Think about something you need to push through and not give up on. Think about something you want to create. I'd love to hear and see the results.