Barak

When learning to sew, most people will eventually come across the term "bias" at some point. For me, it was after I had already cut the fabric the wrong way. Sewing on the bias is something that few designers attempt let alone home sewers. It is one of those mysterious qualities that fabric has can be used to work for a designer to make a fabulous outfit stretch in all the right places. For the novice sewer, sewing on the bias can make a fun afternoon of sewing become a nightmare.

Fabric has three different grains, straight grain, cross-grain and the bias. The straight grain of a fabric tends not to stretch at all. It holds its shape and would sooner rip than stretch. Cross-grain fabric has some stretch. It will keep its shape, but will give some without ripping at the seams. Bias, on the other hand, is very stretchy. It not only has enough stretch not to rip at the seams, but it can be very useful to making fabric hang just so on the body.

People are like fabric. Some are straight grain folks who see things only one way; there is no stretching them. Some are cross-grain folks; they will give a little, but if you stretch them too much they will come apart at the seams. Then there are those wonderful bias cut folks; they will stretch for days and they are great for adapting to different forms and figures.

I really feel like we are in a time of stretching by God. We have moved from our old building to the theater, now we are moving again to a new building and a new time while we wait for our building to be completed. How are you cut? Can you handle the stretching from God? Or are you coming apart at the seams? As we look toward the future, we need to be ready to stretch out of our comfort zones. Our Hebrew word for the day is barak, which is an act of adoration, kneeling expectantly and quietly before God. It seems so fitting in our time as a church that we need to kneel expectantly before God. Take time this week to get on your knees before God. Thank Him for stretching us and ask Him to show our church His Perfect will for us.