Several years ago I heard about a meditative practice that involved knitting. For a while I felt left out because I didn’t knit at the time, I “just” crocheted. How stupid was that? Of course a prayer shawl could be crocheted! I bought the book Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry and read about Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo who started the Prayer Shawl movement.The idea is to create (by knitting, crocheting, quilting, weaving...) a shawl (or scarf or lap-blanket or…) that will contain the intentional prayers and meditations of the creator and be given to someone who will receive the piece, and the blessings it now contains, as a gift of comfort, solace or celebration. The official site explains the concept this way, “Whether they are called Prayer Shawls, Comfort Shawls, Peace Shawls, or Mantles, etc., the shawl maker begins with prayers and blessings for the recipient. The intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. Upon completion, a final blessing is offered before the shawl is sent on its way. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making a shawl and passing it onto someone in need. Thus, the blessing ripples from person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a sheltering, mothering God!”
My first prayer “shawl” was a fun-fur scarf, made quickly to accompany a friend headed to chemo. It was made in the blues that make me think of the Caribbean and given to my friend after a healing service at church. She did wear it to chemo and it did bring her comfort. Months later, the scarf nestled around the urn containing her ashes. It brought a different comfort to her friends.
For a while, I was part of a group that gathered twice a month to work on our shawls. While I would pray when I crocheted alone, we chatted while we worked together. It was a wonderful fellowship opportunity. We invited our priest to come bless the shawls and we were all blessed by the experience. The group has drifted apart but we’re all still stitching and praying.
I’ve set aside my prayer shawls for a year. I have been busy with baby blankets for family and friends... which may be sort of stealth prayer shawls, now that I think about it. But on Sunday, I found the shawl I had almost completed this time last year. I’d started that shawl with no particular recipient in mind. The prayers it contains are mostly the Lord’s Prayer and St. Julian of Norwich’s prayer: "All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well." It was almost finished when Gena and Amy died last spring. I hadn’t even thought about that shawl in months. There it was, in a pile of clutter I was sorting out Sunday afternoon. I was surprised to find that it actually lacked just the border and decided to finish it off then and there. As I crocheted, I thought of Gena and her battle with cancer, of Amy and her devout service to her church. I wove in the ends, tied the care instructions onto the shawl with a yarn scrap, folded it and tucked it into a bag to carry up to church.
On Monday afternoon I had a visit from my friend T. She asked if I’d heard about a mutual friend’s news… a diagnosis of an aggressive lymphoma. This friend would be entering the hospital on Wednesday for a month of intensive chemo. T and I sat, stunned by the words that hung in the air between us, hugged and staggered back to our afternoon chores.
Monday night I realized that the shawl had a home. I sent T an email, asking her to stop by my desk before she went to her Bible study group Tuesday morning. She made the time to come by, picked up the shawl and said, yes, the study group would pray with the shawl and our priest would take it to J before she entered the hospital.
If you know me, you know that I’m religious but I don’t often talk about how God directs my life. I believe God loves me. I believe that God works through me, though I am always amazed He uses me, a most unworthy Child of God. On Tuesday, I know that God worked through me. As the group prepared to pray with the shawl, J walked in. Priest Jim settled the shawl on her shoulders, placed his hands on her head and the circle prayed J and her new blue shawl off to her bout with chemo.
That shawl was finished, at just the right time. J walked into the room, at just the right time. God will heal us all, at just the right time. Amen.
