Does anyone else have an unfinished project tucked away at home? Perhaps it was a venture into woodworking, sewing, scrapbooking, or painting—now sitting quietly, reminding you of the Habit of Resilience you didn’t quite embrace to finish what you started.

As I placed Christmas decorations around the house this week, I stumbled upon a framed cross-stitch scene I completed years ago. Setting it on an easel in the kitchen, I was struck by how much joy I once found in transforming a blank canvas into a finished work of art. Stitch by stitch, the design emerged—so long as I followed the pattern’s instructions.

That moment of reflection brought to mind Christian author Jennifer Rothschild’s tapestry metaphor. She explains that while the back of that cross-stitch may look messy and chaotic, visitors only see the beautiful Christmas scene of a church and night sky. In the same way, God sees the masterpiece He is weaving in our lives, even when all we see are Tangled threads.

I confess I’m in a season where I cannot yet see the finished tapestry God is creating. The supplies are gathered—canvas, hoop, needle, and thread. The excitement to begin is there. I’ve glimpsed the photo of the finished product. Yet the instructions—the clear pattern—seem missing. I see the colorful threads before me, full of potential, but without guidance I cannot discern how they will come together. It feels like trying to guess which shade of pink to use when the DMC band has slipped off the spool.

My desire to persevere, to continue this flourishing project as faithfully as I once completed that Christmas scene in 1997–back when eyes and hands were 30 years younger. But the challenge remains: the pattern is hidden. I see many possible threads–Appreciative Inquiry, a faith-informed wellness model, service excellence, character and spiritual development in student athletes, hospitality and belonging. Yet I wonder: what picture is God weaving? All I see right now is the messy underside of Tangled threads.

And here lies the struggle. I long for these years of research not to become another unfinished project, abandoned in a corner. Without a clear pattern, without direction, without encouragement to persevere, it all feels like scattered God Winks—moments that make me smile, but leave me uncertain. Is this work meant only for my own transformation in teaching? Could it be shared through publishing, blessing others with my curiosity? Or is God preparing something entirely different, beyond my imagination?

Answering His summons to Follow Me is never easy. It may be simple, but it requires humility, surrender, grace, forgiveness, and countless other virtues that stretch us to the End of Me. That destination is difficult to reach while still living in Spiritual Adolescence. Yet I trust that maturity will come. And when it does, I hope the tapestry revealed will uncover all the messy threads on the back—because God alone is the Master Weaver, Weaving Threads that leave me both awed and Respectfully Mystified.

How do you navigate the times when patterns appear unrevealed? What steps help you move forward? Please consider sharing in the comments below.

Reference:

Rothschild, J. (2025). About Jennifer Rothschild. https://www.jenniferrothschild.com/about/