reflections on beads, bracelets, and imperfection

When my MOPS group last met, we had a craft that involved making a bracelet using beads of a variety of colors and sizes and wire. Our Creative Activities Lead, Jill, told us the different colors of beads represented different things: pink/purple represents friends, green represents family, blue represents community, red represents self, and white represents God. One of the moms, Leah Weikel, sent this email to our Discussion Group later that day about the craft and I thought it inspirational. I got her ok to share it on the blog.

I have to admit that the perfectionist in me wanted to keep me from attempting the craft today--saying, "If you start to strand the beads now, you won't get it perfect. You need to categorize the beads first, according to size and shape and then find the pattern. It's really quite simple." However, the practical side of me said, "If you don't start now, it will never get done." So I began stranding beads together, trying to make an eclectic-but-elegant pattern. I didn't seem to find my groove, as I watched other moms quickly and talentedly express themselves through beadwork. Then I stopped thinking about it, and I just began to strand the beads, one by one, not paying too much attention to color and size, just kind of winging it. Then it happened. I found my pattern-- or my psuedo-pattern. It was more of a general theme than an actual pattern, and I managed to tell my inner perfectionist to, in nice terms, "be quiet." I wasn't able to finish my creation in that comfy, blue table-clothed room, so I had to take it home with me, hoping that all of my work thus far wouldn't come apart, unravel and flood my purse with tiny, shiny raindrops of glass.

I was lucky. I managed to make it to my parents' house, with both kids asleep in their car seats. As soon as I took my tiny tots to their beds at Nana's house, I was back at it-- back in the flow of the rhythm of the beads. It didn't take me long to finish. And, I was actually happy with my creation. Then I began to reflect on the meaning and purpose behind the craft. I looked at the juxtaposed beads, and then looked at their perspective meanings. Every so often I saw a large, red bead. This reminded me of last week's lesson, that in the middle of all of these important relationships I have, there is me. And it's ok-- even good--to take some time for me, in order to be a better mom, a better wife, a better friend. There is also a great big green bead on my bracelet, swirled with gold, reminding me of how precious my family is. The enormity of this bead also reminded me of how much time it takes to be a mommy, too! And every so often there are these simple, white beads, reminding me of how important it is to be refreshed by the Lord. And the fact that all of these beads are connected reminded me that we are all connected to each other, mom to friend, friend to family, family to community, community to God.

Hopefully you were able to enjoy the craft and were able to learn from a pile of beads and a piece of wire.

May blessings fall upon you like raindrops,
leah