Text: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Purpose: To understand how God uses all of life's experiences to create a life message

Objects: An afghan, a bundle of jumbled and mismatched yarn, and two large knitting needles

Experience: I pulled out a bundle of yarn and described how life sometimes seems like a collection of chance encounters, jumbled experiences, and disconnected relationships. Then I displayed a beautiful afghan. I stated that each item was different and yet the same. The same raw material made up both the pile of yarn and the afghan. The difference was in the intentionality and connectedness of the yarn in the afghan. Someone had used knitting needles to craft beauty and order out of disorder. God uses people, the Holy Spirit, and circumstances as life's knitting needles to create a story in each of us. We should view our lives as something beautiful and purposeful in God's hands.