It’s funny how nothing else seems to matter when you worship God fully. I’ve recently been making prayer shawls and blankets. I made one last winter, but I had forgotten how amazing they are to make. The one I made last winter took a little over 30 hours to complete, and I can honestly say that every minute of those 30 hours was filled with joy. The reason? I was worshipping. I was shifting my focus off of myself and onto someone else by simply opening up a conversation with God. If you don’t know much about prayer shawls, they are simply shawls that are prayed over while they are made, which are then given to someone who needs a little hope and encouragement. They are often given to someone with a major illness but can really be given to anyone going through something difficult. The beauty of making a prayer shawl is that it not only is a blessing to the recipient, but I believe it is also a blessing to the maker. As I make a prayer shawl, I sometimes feel like I am the one being healed. When I am praying for someone in need, I am redirecting my focus from myself and my own problems to pray for healing for another person. It’s a beautiful thing, if you ask me.
My thoughts are often very negative and damaging to my self-esteem, so it is great to intentionally force myself to not only think about someone else, but also to think positive thoughts in general. My goal in making the prayer shawls is that it would bless someone else in some small way. It’s the art of losing myself in bringing Him praise. I think making prayer shawls could be a key to unlocking the prison I’ve locked myself inside of.
