WHILE WE CANNOT FORETELL THE FUTURE – we definitely can proclaim
the past! While growing up as a little
girl in North Dakota, I remember my mom stitching pretty designs on
dishtowels. A variety of colored threads
joined together would bring the printed pattern on the cloth to life. One chosen color of thread, though, would
connect and define each separate part of the overall design until it became
complete. She would stitch the outline
of a leaf or a flower or perhaps around a pretty cup and saucer – and when it
was finished, the threads that ran through the fabric transformed a rather
dull, white towel into a thing of beauty!
I know, I am r-e-a-l-l-y dating myself now, but that’s alright! This story will help me make a point! Today, decades later, God has shown me the
beauty of another design imprinted not on fabric, but on many hearts over these
past six years. Then, it was my mom
stamping the pattern on with heat. Now,
it has been God imprinting His divine design on Elevation North and our people. Yes, sometimes with heat! I cannot help but reminisce and remember the
variety of colored threads He has stitched our past with when I think of the
places He has taken us to. Each place
has been a different design and each time He has chosen just the right color of
threads to stitch new people into His Kingdom pattern. Looking back, as we’ve been moved through the
wilderness from location to location, I can see the thread that God’s hand
stitched with to hold us together. We
could so easily have unraveled at any point, especially when the changing of
patterns became more costly. We could so
easily have given up when occasionally we had to allow God to rip out some of
“our” stitches – so HIS design could remain intact. We could so easily have decided that with the
smaller numbers of our church family – we just couldn’t go on. We could so easily have given in to the long,
hard struggle to overcome circumstances that appeared to be
insurmountable. But there was that
thread holding us together for the greater design that God saw when He took the
very first stitch that created Elevation North out of nothing. Our nothing!
God already saw the complete pattern and finished design. For these past six years, we have been experiencing
a multitude of stitches, and they are bringing to pass something so very
beautiful! I love the concept of seeing
our God stitch – because no one can do it better than He can! You see, He stitches with great love, and I
fully believe that the color of the thread that has held us together is
RED! That’s the color of the blood of
His precious Son, given for each one of us!
He has used that color abundantly, more than all the rest. He has used the needle with the never-ending
red thread to stitch up broken hearts and damaged lives. He has washed our black threads of sin and
rebellion and self-centeredness … and then when pulled through the eye of His
needle, they stitched the word - “transformed!”
He used that red thread to stitch into the fallen and lost –
redemption. He used the red to stitch
into the down and out – restoration. He
stitched red to remind the unloved – that He is the Lover of their souls. He pulled His needle of red thread through
those who were weak – to make them strong.
To the sick, the red thread gave stitches of healing. To those chained in addictions, the red
thread of His blood – brought total deliverance. To those in despair - the stitches of red
became their gift of hope. Are you
seeing the beautiful picture of the thread that runs through the very existence
of Elevation North? Are you getting a
glimpse that each of us is stitched into this plan and design? But, dear ones, it is not finished yet! God still wants us to bring to Him as many as
possible so that He can continue to stitch them into the fabric of His Kingdom
for eternity! There is power in the
blood of the Lamb – and there is power in the thread of that blood that has
kept Elevation North focused on Christ and His work on this earth! Friends, WE get to be part of this exciting
end-time revival that will bring in a harvest of souls! After our long summer journey going from place
to place, God’s thread of faithfulness is bringing us to this destination at
2002 Austin Road in the next few weeks.
Even as it is being prepared for worship, we sense the Spirit of God
filling this place! He has more for us
to do! May His love, His presence, and
His power ever flow from our hearts – as He uses us and this place for His
glory until He comes!
REMEMBER . .
.
“In Him we
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance
with the riches of God’s grace
that He
lavished on us
with all
wisdom and understanding.”
~ Ephesians
1:7-8
Joyfully Serving Christ . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
