Easy Yokes and Burdens Light: How Knitting Taught Me to Say Yes
Four years ago I walked into the town yarn shop to relearn how to knit. I was newly married and freshly living in the Northeast—a place where winter arrives early and stays for six months. I needed something analog to keep me occupied as I sat near the ever burning wood stove of “The Smithy,” our tiny blacksmith-shop-turned-home. Knitting seemed just the thing, or I hoped it would be.
What I did not know as I boldly stepped outside of my comfort zone and walked into that shop filled with women absorbed in their craft, was that knitting would become my most consistent entryway into prayer. Knitting would become the habit that reminds me to make daily offerings. In repeating stitch patterns over and over again, I fall into a rhythm of petitions. Yes, a prayer for the person who is to receive the object. But also, a prayer for the unclothed. A prayer for the poor. A prayer for the one who is hoarding their wealth. A prayer for the incarcerated wearing prison-issued uniforms. A prayer for the caregivers who daydream of ten minutes of quiet. A prayer for the animals whose fleece clothes us. A prayer of hope for a just and merciful society, where each of us is shown dignity.
The words of Jesus that we hear in Matthew 11:28-30 are nothing less than tender consolation. Beyond the language that feels directly applicable to my own life (former livestock farmer, mother, knitter), this passage provides an invitation to be deeply and totally cared for.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Annie Gagliardi, @candidly_composed.
Perhaps you are heavy laden, exhausted by the cold or the darkness. As the morning is patient for the night to end, be patient. He will give you rest.
Perhaps you are burdened with how very much there is to learn in a society that expects us to Know Everything. Take your time. He will teach you.
Are you disappointed with yourself for already loosening the grip on hard resolutions? Be gentle with yourself. He is gentle; He will be gentle with you.
Jesus begins with, “Come to me.” He asks nothing in return except that we come. Today, may we receive that invitation and say Yes. Wherever you find yourself—from knitting with children underfoot, to leading a team at a corporate headquarters—let us say yes to the One Who calls.
Meet Samantha Spigos
Samantha Spigos is a mother to two, a wife, a gardener, and a knitter. She is devoted to mornings, coffee any time of day, and praying the Divine Mercy chaplet. Her goals are to knit everyone she loves a wool sweater, visit a salty body of water every year, and sainthood for her entire family. For occasional notes on everything herein, visit her at downhomeblog.com.