Lessons from the Sewing Box

"Why don't you wear this?" I said to my husband as we were getting ready for church, holding out this  blue-and-white striped seersucker jacket. It was to be around 100 degree temps today, and the cotton jacket would be cool.  "Wait! What happened to the button?" I cried, seeing only the coarse, heavy thread hanging from where a large button should have been.

I had no idea where another button was, and Howard had no clue, but I searched in the pockets, and wonder of wonders, a small plastic packet held both a small sleeve button and a big front button!  It must have come with the coat!  I could put it on in a jiffy, I thought.

Taking a small sewing kit from the drawer, I prepared to thread the needle.   This might be a  time consuming problem, I realized, as I squinted at the tiny eye. I could identify with Jesus' illustration of trying to put a camel through the eye of a needle.

Then I spied a needle threader in the kit, and put the thread through it.  Something was not right.  How did this thing work, anyway? I would push the wire holding the thread through the eye, but the thread just fell out without going through.  Then I had a flashback.  Oh! You were supposed to push the collapsible, folded wire through, then put the needle into the wire opening, pull it back, and presto! the needle was threaded!

I had the button sewn on in no time.  Then the thought occured to me that our lives are like the thread.  We  are always trying to push through our problems in our own strength, just as I was trying to push the thread through the eye of the needle.  But when I put the thread into the threader, it pulled it right through.  Just as when we flounder through a rough patch in  life, if we place our faith in Jesus, He pulls us through!

In Matthew 19:24, Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.  To the disciples' amazed  question of  "Who then can be saved?", He tells them, "With men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible."

In Matthew 17:20, in teaching about  having faith as a mustard seed,  Jesus says, "Nothing will be impossible for you."  How many times have we looked at a situation and said, "That's impossible."  But Jesus says we no longer have to view it as impossible or consider it impossible!  Through Him, all things are possible.  We will find He was there all the time.  Just like the button in Howard's coat pocket.  The solution to the problem had already been provided!