The Twist of the Tangle

A beeping sound erupted from the laundry room.
I opened the door and approached the steel grey machine.
Bending over, I pulled open the mouth of the appliance.
Warm air and bright light poured out of the cavern.
And I discovered a mess.
One that I did not want to deal with in that moment.
I closed the door and walked away.
Ignorance is bliss, right?
A while ago I purchased a set of three wool dryer balls from a local woman who has a yarn craft business. She told me that the balls are supposed to eliminate the need for dryer sheets and fabric softener. Static cling? Say goodbye! Tangled sheets? A thing of the past!
And now, so is my dryer ball.
It decided to mess with my laundry and completely unravel. In the process, it wrapped itself in and around the clothing, creating a new chore to add to my day. Armed with scissors, I later sat down and shear through the muddle of fabric until the yarn was cut off and my clothes were free.

Life is a ball of yarn.

In yet another yarn story, there have been a few times as I sat crocheting, that my yarn rolled away from me, hit the floor and continued on its way. A sigh. A setting down of my hook. The pursuit of the wayward yarn began. Time felt wasted as I re-wrapped that yarn into a ball shape before I could move on to my next stitch. While not a perfect ball, it became a lumpy shape of yarn which was destined for beauty.

And here is where we live.

In this place of being held together then unraveling.
The uncomfortable balance of tangling and untangling.
Where the things of this world ~ struggles in relationships or finances; disappointments, hurts, misunderstandings, selfishness ~ envelop us in their grasp, binding us tightly. Where the things of this world get away from us and we feel like we lose control and flail hopelessly around, unsure about what may come next.

The twist of the tangle is that untangle follows. The bonds can be cut away. Freedom can be had. But it takes patience.
The beauty of the unraveling is that the mess can be gathered and reworked into new hope.
But it takes time.

As I sit, I picture God with His scissors, gently and carefully cutting away the things that trap me, entangle me. He knows I am destined to live in freedom. He wants it for me. And He puts that same longing in my heart. But some things that I have allowed in, have bound me.
I picture Him, following behind me, picking up my messes, gently handing them back with the promise of healing and the hope of the remaking.
All for something good. All for the good of His child.
Freedom waits and hope renews.

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1, NIV)