Tangled Up

We are teaching ourselves to embroider and I did not expect the most difficult part of this to be untangling thread – Twitter post by “Ansley Is Livid

I responded to that tweet by saying, “Untangling is always the most difficult part of everything.”

I mean, sure . . . thread is a pain to untangle. So are extension cords, the chains of a thurible, and knots in long hair. That's why I'm always careful to wind things up nice and neat, or as best I can, so I don't have to deal with untangling in the future.

It occurred to me, though, that other things get tangled up and the most difficult part of it all is getting untangled. Whether that thing is a job, a project, a relationship, sometimes we get so tangled up that we aren't sure how to get untangled.

There's also a difference between being entangled and being entwined. Both of those generate images of two or more things wrapped around each other, or of one thing looped in and over itself. The difference is that being entangled generates a sense of knotted up, or of a mess needing to be straightened out. On the other hand, being entwined creates a sense of togetherness that generates strength.

The suspension cables on a bridge, for instance, are entwined. Good friends may have entwined lives. A good marriage consists of two people entwined together. The three persons of the Holy Trinity are entwined together. Hopefully we are entwined with God.

I hope you find yourself entwined with this community, with family and friends, and with God. And if you find yourself tangled up, I hope you find someone who can calmly and gently help get you untangled.

Blessings,

Todd+