Backpack

A recent email from Hannah Brencher had us thinking about our ‘Stitching Backpacks’, but not in the way you might be thinking.

Hannah unpacked a scripture from the Bible, that even if you don’t go to church or may never have opened a Bible, will likely be familiar – ‘For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’ (Matthew 11:30).

Typically, burden is used to describe a ‘heavy, crushing load’ and has therefore become something we try to avoid. However, Hannah came to realise that the bible uses a second type of burden that translates from the Greek as ‘phortion’ (for-tee-on) and it’s this version that’s referred to in the passage of scripture above.

One of phortion’s translations is a soldier’s pack or backpack. Something we are fit to carry.

The truth is, just like a soldier we all have our own backpacks that are custom packed for what we need. Our packs contain what we require for the journey before us. Sometimes the items in our backpacks are physical items, whilst at others they’re character traits or lessons learned from experiences past that provide the ‘tools’ we need for success.

Although not identical in specifics, no doubt each of our backpacks contain the specific tools required for the stitching before us, or perhaps a reference book that will guide us through particular stitches we’re not yet familiar with. Our packs also hold our knowledge about specific stitches and techniques as well as virtues such as patience and perseverance that help us to succeed each time we take needle and thread in hand. 

Whilst there are times we each need to check the contents of our packs to see if they need repacking, most of the time we already have what we need to flourish, sometimes we just need to dig a little deeper to find it in the bottom of our packs!

We’d love to hear what’s specific to your Stitching Backpack. Email us with the tools that are indispensable to you each time you take needle and thread in hand, and who knows maybe we’ll ‘borrow’ an item or two for our own backpacks?!