Faith Knits Us Together

As I prepared for the birth of my sixth child, knitting was a big part of my daily routine. I got to a point in my pregnancy where I really couldn’t do much physically. I wasn’t on official bed rest, but I needed to take it easy. So, I took time each afternoon to sit and knit. Sometimes, I listened to Gregorian chant or the Rosary, while I knitted. And this quiet routine kept me calm, as I anticipated another birth. It was a tremendous source of peace for me.

As I reached the top of a hat I was knitting for my little one still in the womb, I realized I needed help finishing it. So, I went to my favorite yarn store for some assistance. It wasn't too difficult, but it required some new skills, which the ladies at the yarn store were kind enough to teach me.

As part of my little outing, I invited a new friend to meet me at the yarn shop and go for coffee afterward. My friend had “learn to knit” on her to-do list, so she was eager to browse all of the lovely, soft, colorful yarn, while I wrapped up my project.

I did not know this woman very well, and I was looking forward to getting to know her better. We already had a few things in common: I was about to have my sixth child, and she had six children. At the time, I didn’t have any close friends with six children, so I was excited to be in the company of someone who has been where I was about to go. She also was a home-schooling mother, and at the time, I was discerning homeschooling.

These things seemed like beautiful reasons to get together. Wouldn't you agree?

After our time at the yarn shop, we headed over to a nearby coffee house. And it was there that we had a wonderful Sunday afternoon getting to know one another better.

It was there in that coffee shop that I was reminded of the fact that it is truly a blessing to be women of faith, because our faith becomes an instant connection for us. A common ground. And a big one at that.

It's not just that we happen to shop at the same stores or enjoy similar movies or can't live without the same lipgloss.

It’s not even about how many children we have, or whether we homeschool or not.

It’s about more.

It’s about the fact that we believe in the same God. Have devotions to the same Mother. Try to live a life in accordance with His holy will. Stumble in similar (or different) areas, but still have the experience of stumbling. And, in faith, get up again, striving over and over (and over!) again for holiness.

Our beautiful Catholic faith knits us together and allows us to share in this great life of being Catholic wives, mothers, friends. The challenges and the joys. The questions and the certainties. And all of this over some soft, pretty yarn, and a delicious cup o' joe. Who could ask for a lovelier Sunday afternoon? Certainly not me.