Master Untangler

I had to complete a task that I'd been dreading for weeks. It was a tedious job that would require keen eyes, steady hands and tons of concentration. I finally decided that I could procrastinate no longer, so I tackled the mammoth challenge.

Okay, maybe mammoth is a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, the ball of necklaces could fit in one hand. Allow me to explain. We moved a couple of months ago and my daughter, whom I love dearly (just for the record), packed her jewelry in a container with no thought of the consequences. She had varying lengths of silver chains, each with their own charm-keys, crosses, penguins (don't ask), as well as a few chords with pendants. I had no way to tell how many there were. All I knew is that it was a blob of . . . of . . . sheer frustration!!

I know, moms, I could have made her untangle the mess herself . . . but . . . Okay, I have no answer. The bottom line is I decided it was my job to free the bound jewelry.

At first, I decided to shake the mass and  pull a couple of the dangling chains, hoping they would all magically fall apart. No such luck. I then pulled tighter on one that looked like it was rebelling against the pack. This only angered the ball and the others clung tighter. As I sat, trying to decide whether or not to throw it in the trash, I came up with a plan.

Magnifying glass and needle in hand, I formulated my strategy. Each chain was slightly different. I would choose one, slowly trace it's path, untangling it along the way until I freed each one individually. I knew it could take hours, but there was no other way. 

As I went about the meticulous chore, there were times I wanted to change my focus and choose another chain but I stayed the course. When the first necklace was freed, I gained confidence. Five minutes later, a second was rescued and so it went. I discovered that the job got exponentially easier with each release.

Sigh . . . With pride, I lined the twelve necklaces on the table to present them to my daughter.

I opened my Bible for morning time with my Father and  glanced over at my proud accomplishment. I remembered my desperate prayer the day before. I felt like there was a tight ball in my stomach, a mass of stress, tension, regret, fear . . . I smiled as a quiet, still voice reminded me that the Master Untangler is at work.

His vision is perfect, His hands ever-steady as He loosens what needs to be released, tugs at the perfect time and creates something beautiful from a mess. He won't give up until all is free . . . so neither will I.

7 comments:

  1. I'm smiling! I so would have been the one to untangle the mess too - we just do those things for our children. Just like God, He just does that for us. Not because it's his responsibility, but because He loves us! Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for you!

    April

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  2. Loved this post! Hit me right between the eyes, too! In our home, I'm the necklace untangler while the Hubs does Christmas lights, extension cords and fishing poles. You can learn a lot about someone watching them detangle a mess; their patience, their tolerance, their tenacity, to include their value system, too! Great post!

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  3. Hi Susan,

    A delightful post that brought a smile to my face! I have experienced the same mess with my jewelery when I travel! :) A perfect analogy that He never gives up on us!

    Blessings and hugs for a joyful and thankful day!
    Denise

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  4. Haven't we all been there with the handfull of tangled chains.....I love your analogy of God never giving up on the junk in our lives.....What a wonderful picture He gave you of His never ending presence......

    Hugs and blessings,
    Nancy

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  5. nice post! thanks for sharing... God bless you... loves soraya

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  6. Love this. I think we can all relate. I've had to untangle a few necklaces - it's not a fun job! Great analogy here. I'm so thankful the Master Untangler never gives up on us!

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  7. I just love, love, love this post. Simply wonderful.

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