Proverbs 31:13b: …she seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

One of my favorite activities at First Presbyterian Church is Wednesdays at First, where I discovered the Sit 'N Knit group. It drew me like a magnet as I had recently rekindled my love of knitting. This led to invitations to join the Prayer Shawl ministry. I did not really want to knit shawls (I prefer making sweaters), but I felt a need to tithe my talent. Knit for God as well as knit for myself: so I picked up my needles and knitted a shawl. I see this as my calling.

I have experienced some minor struggles with knitting for the Lord. I am naturally impatient and want to hurry and get it done—this cannot happen with knitting: you must work and wait to be rewarded with a finished project. And my compulsive nature stresses me when I pressure myself to finish my shawl before the next Healing and Wholeness service.

The blessings of knitting for the Lord far outweigh the stresses. I feel peace and contentment while knitting a shawl and praying for its recipient. And my impatience has lessened throughout my life, not just when knitting. In addition, I have been blessed with a sisterhood of Prayer Shawl warriors and our bonds of friendship extend far beyond the Parlor where we gather twice a month.

The blessings reach out to the recipients of our prayer shawls, too: a young girl who calls her shawl "God's blanket" because it comes from Him; the nursing home recipient who wears her shawl every day to show that others are thinking about and loving her; the ill patient who feels God's love along with the warmth of a shawl seep into and comfort him.

It is delightful to me that God uses the knitting I love to demonstrate in a tangible way both His love and touch to the people who wrap our shawls around their shoulders.

Meg Evatt

About the Contributor

Meg Evatt, retired nurse and mother of three, grandmother of six, serves on the Health Ministry Committee, Prayer Shawl ministry, Sanctuary Guild Funeral Committee, the WAF money collection, and has participated in three Dominican Republic mission trips.