My Life as a Ball of String

• October
• 19

8:30 am Christian living, Ideas for Women's Groups, Parenting Teens, Relationships

Kasey* spread an array of household items on the table before us – a couple of clothes pegs, a thermometer, a Rubik’s cube, the head of a toy pony (!), a ball of string, an MP3 player, and several ornaments including an angel, a china bell, an eagle, a kitten and a dog.

Aha! Memory Game! I thought to myself, sure that Kasey would soon cover the objects and ask us to write down as many as we could recall. But it was a much more interesting – and challenging! – activity, that Kasey had in mind. 

“Now, I want you to choose one of these objects, to describe where you are at in your spiritual journey right now!”

The table went quiet as everybody carefully considered which item they would choose to share with the group.

My eyes landed on a ball of twine, with just the end of the ribbon poking out. It reminded me of how we – okay, I! - sometimes retreat and curl up into a ball to protect ourselves. Yet the ribbon breaking free and slowly unwinding really signified my spiritual journey at that point in time. I hadn’t been a member of a small group in years, yet for the past few months I had been joining with these half dozen women for Bible Study and fellowship. Being a part of this group, I could sense myself gently uncurling from the ball I  had withdrawn into.

As I picked up the ball of string, more scenes from my life flashed before my eyes.  Pulling the string tight, I laughingly commented that this was how I had been feeling, dealing with various issues with my teenagers – pulled in all directions, worn thin, a bit frayed at the edges!

Winding the same string around my fingers, I reflected that my job during that particular week was quite busy and stressful, and I was feeling quite wound up.

By this time, the ball of string was no longer neat and tidy, but rather pulled apart, messy – constantly changing – just like me. A couple of thought-provoking books had  recently challenged my views of God, and how we “do” church. All my pre-conceived notions were being examined and pulled apart – and hopefully, prayerfully, re-built the way God wants them to be.

A ball of string is not much use until it is stretched out, snipped, tied up … but so long as God is the one doing the stretching, cutting and knotting, that’s okay with me!

What household object would YOU have chosen?

Begin to weave; and God will give you the thread … German Proverb

*Names changed to protect privacy