Week 1 - Seam Allowance

Isaiah 28:16

So this is what the Sovereign Lord Says:  “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

When I was a junior high student, I used some of my free time volunteering in the Activity Department of a local nursing home.  I enjoyed spending time with the residents working on craft projects and reading to them.  One of the perks to working there was the use of their sewing machines on quiet days.  The department had a wide selection of patterns and fabric I was free to use.  For my first project, I decided to sew a toy elephant.  I still have no idea why I chose such an ambitious, difficult project for a beginner.  Chalk it up to optimism I guess.  I can still remember all the countless hours I spent just cutting out all the necessary fabric pieces.

Finally the day came to begin assembling my little friend. I was so excited to see some real progress!  I feverishly stitched and turned, stitched and turned, until at last it was time to fill the elephant with stuffing.  Everything seemed to be progressing well until I began working on the elephant's legs.  Something had gone terribly wrong! This little guy's legs were way too narrow and skinny.  So skinny, they looked more like they belonged on a flamingo than an elephant.  Yes it's true.  I had created an exact replica of the rarely seen and often unheard of Great Flamingo-Legged Elephant of the Northern Plains!  I had forgotten the seam allowance. 

Seam allowance is the area between the edge of the fabric and the stitching line on two pieces of material being sewn together.  Without it, the majority of my elephant’s leg room was taken up in the space needed to stitch him together.  Needless to say, my little elephant spent the remainder of his days flat on his back.  He just didn't have the foundation he needed in his peg-like legs to support all of his weight.

Isaiah 28:16 speaks of the foundation we need to build our lives upon, namely, Jesus Christ.  His forgiveness and grace offer more than enough seam allowance to keep you on your feet and moving in the right direction, no matter what challenges life may bring.  Turn to Him for your every need.  Seek a close, personal relationship with Him.  He is the only foundation that will never fail you. 

~Up Close and Personal~

A foundation is defined as the portion of a building's structure that transfers the weight of the building into the ground.  It is the base upon which everything else that develops rests.  Many people seek to build their lives on foundations that simply cannot hold up under the pressures of everyday life.  These foundations fail because their success depends on the performance of imperfect people. 

How's your foundation?  If you often feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders; that may be a good indication that you have based your life on the wrong foundation.  Take a moment to reflect on your life.  Can you think of anything you strived for that in the end sadly let you down?  A career?  A relationship?  Success?  Money? 

Has it ever occurred to you that you may be trying to carry a weight God never intended you to bear?  Do you struggle with perfectionism?  Do you feel like you're caught in a death defying balancing act where one wrong move could send your whole world crashing down?

Maybe it's time for a change.  If you knew of one foundation that would never let you down, would you choose it?  What if I told you it was based on someone who loves you unconditionally?  What if I told you it was based on someone who always looks out for your best interest?  How would it feel to have someone in your life that you could always turn to, always depend on? 

Do you want to make a choice for that kind of foundation?  You can do so by seeking a close, personal relationship with Him.  Get into His word and discover who He really is.  Spend time in prayer sharing with Him all that's in your heart.  Listen and apply His instructions to your life.  Let your loving, heavenly Father carry your load. 

~Name It~

Read Isaiah 28:16 aloud. 

What is the promise included in this scripture? 

If you found it in the last sentence, you were right on!  "The one who trusts will never be dismayed(disturbed)".  One definition of disturbed is having the place or position of something changed.  So what God is promising is that once we set our feet firmly on His foundation, we will not be moved.  Another definition of disturbed is to be afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief.  Wouldn't a life without these troubling emotions be wonderful?  That is exactly what God is offering to those who choose to believe in Christ Jesus and base their lives on Him.  It's yours for the taking!  What will you choose?

~Claim It~

Dear Heavenly Father, no matter what this life may bring, I pray that you would help me remember I can always count on you.  Help me trust you with my daily needs.  Free me from the burdens I was never meant to carry and help me place my hope in you.  Focus my attention on the lasting, eternal things rather than the passing, temporal things that surround me every day.    Set my feet firmly upon the perfect foundation of your love for me. 

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.