Knitting and Sinning

I am the type of person that has to keep my hands busy while I’m watching a show. I used to play on my phone, but that usually leaves me annoying my husband with questions like, “Wait, what just happened?” and “Who is this guy?” It’s very frustrating to me, and irritating to him. When I knit, I can just keep my fingers working, and still keep up with what’s going on our television. Lately, I have been working on a scarf for my daughter. I found a picture on Pinterest of a beautiful woman, wearing this warm and pretty, Katniss Everdeen type cowl. My daughter fell in love, and I thought, I could make that for her.
So I went to Michaels, I bought the knitting needles, and the bulky yarn. I was very excited, and got to work fast. I was going and going and was about half way done with my first skein of yarn when I realized that my stitches were completely off. My beautiful scarf was starting to look like a triangle. I had to undo everything and start over again.  I was sad, but I learned a few things, and I started again. I was almost done with my skein, when I realized that I had dropped some stitches, and again, was off. I was so irritated with myself. Again, I had to start from the beginning. I was so paranoid of doing this again, that I would keep double checking how many stitches I had on my needle after almost every row. After getting about 10 rows wrong, I had to undo my work, once again. This time, however, I didn’t have to start from scratch. I was able to see where I started making my mistake, and I was able to go back to that point and move forward.
As I was fixing my mistake, I thought of how often we do these same things in our lives. We make a mistake, try and fix it, and move forward, sometimes more than once. In Luke 7, we learn the story of a woman who washed the Savior’s feet with her tears. She kissed them, and anointed them with oil. The Pharisee Simon was not happy about this, because she was a sinner. The Savior pointed out how much this woman had done, compared to what Simon, his host, had done. She anointed him, she washed his feet, and he had done none of these things. She knew that she had made mistakes, yet it was her desire to be closer to the Savior. And instead of turning her away, he welcomed her. He forgave her.
With every stitch I pulled out of my yarn, I thought of how many times I have committed a sin. Some of them required me to start at the beginning, and some of them I have been able to let go, and move forward from, not having to go back quite so far. And each time I was able to start knitting again, I thought of how the Savior does the same for us. We can repent, and move forward, because of him, and his sacrifice.
I’m still working on my scarf, just like I’m still working on myself. But on Christmas, when I give it to my daughter, I am going to remind her of the reason we are celebrating, and that it is because of him and his sacrifice, we can repent, and start over again.