©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com
How can mittens make us think about Christmas – and God’s design?
After years of creating quizzes on various holiday/winter topics from music to movies, hot chocolate and tea, and Winter Olympics and New Year’s Eve activities, I needed a new subject.
Mittens came to mind.
Surely an interactive quiz on the winter clothing accessory could work for a gathering of women who celebrate the holiday season in different ways.
But would there be enough that was fascinating about mittens to generate interest?
Actually yes…and more. Let’s take a look at what I discovered – and where it led.
The Pattern
The most famous pattern for mittens is the Selbu rose, which is an eight-pointed, star-shaped flower designed by a teenaged Norwegian girl in the 1800s. According to experts, the young designer drew inspiration for the Selbu rose from a garment she’d seen in church.
The Impact
When she first wore her handcrafted mittens to church, people noticed, and it ignited interest. Selbu townspeople had primarily worked producing millstones, but industrially produced stones eroded that business. The town began to struggle. Then, thankfully, sales of the Selbu rose mittens began to escalate with exports after World War I.
In the ‘30s and ‘40s, data shows that knitting even became the primary source of income for more than 3,000 people in that small town. The Selbu rose pattern began to bloom in popularity and it even adorned sweaters and socks as it became available around the world.
Growth took another avenue too. Mittens from Selbu took the Guinness Book of World Records award in 2014 as the world’s largest at 7 ft., 9.70 inches (rt.) and 7 ft 3.1 inches (left). Sixty-eight women worked together to knit those mittens.
God’s Design
The more I researched mittens, the more I thought about God’s design in our world. As Creator, the master designer, and, well, the original “knitter,” He has spread beauty, inspiration, love and life.
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly,” said Jesus in John 10:10b ESV
Individually and uniquely, God created us, and He hopes we’ll choose to have a personal relationship with Him. Not mass-produced.
Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
But back to the mittens…
The Source
Interestingly, to be classified as genuine Selbu mittens, the yarn has to come from specifically identified sources.
Christians also understand that authentic faith – comes through knowing the Source – and trusting the Shepherd – personally. John 10:14 and John 14:6 record Jesus saying, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me,” and “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The Inside
Did you know bona fide Selbu mittens show one distinct pattern on the outside and another on the inside? They inspect for quality for both.
This reminded me of a Scripture when Jesus confronted people, reminding them that what was on the inside didn’t match up to the outside appearance (and he wasn’t talking about mittens!)
As recorded in Luke 11: 39-42, “Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”
Willing Hearts and Hands
And, then there’s the story of the Selbu rose design’s creator, a teenage girl whose creativity was sparked by something she saw in church. The use of Marit Emstad’s God-given creative talents ultimately brought beauty and warmth to many lives, impacting lives and livelihoods.
As I contemplate Marit’s mitten story during this holy-day season, I think of another young girl who lived many centuries before Marit. Nativity scenes around the globe depict her, her husband Joseph, with baby Jesus, the Messiah depicting the Biblical accounting of God’s coming physically and humanly to earth. Touched in a special way by God, Mary’s surrender and devotion to gladly serve Him left its mark, but it was through God’s divine design that we can enjoy warmth and peace and joy through Christ.
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. Luke 1:46-48a
God’s Gifts
God is still touching people, gifting people, engaging people to do His will and His work.
Many people don’t know the name of the creator of the beautiful, knitted mitten and sweater pattern known as the Selbu rose. Infinitely more shocking and saddening, is that many don’t credit the One who created the beauty and life we experience in our world. From sunrises to sunsets, to mountain ranges and vast oceans, to grassy, green fields and cascading waterfalls, and all the life in it, God created it.
Everything in our world – yes, even mittens – can prompt us to see the Lord’s touch – or His lessons – if we focus on His design.
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20
- What type of handcrafting would you most like to learn – knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, painting, sculpturing or another? What design would you create to bless others?
- Would you rather people see the inside or the outside of you? Why?
- In what ways do you think others see God in the pattern of your life?
- Have you considered donating new mittens or gloves to a homeless shelter or others in need? (How about starting this season?)
- What is one action you can take this week to nurture your inner design?
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Remember…
Life is Better When It’s Full – Joy-full, Thank-full, Purpose-full and Friend-full! ™
*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are from New International Version (NIV)