Sew What?

Amid the coronavirus, healthcare workers have faced a critical shortage of masks.

The business world responded by shifting production to making masks or face shields. A quick Google search shows that Fanatics, the official jersey manufacturer for Major League Baseball, switched from making jerseys to making face masks. Bauer, a hockey equipment manufacturer based in New Hampshire, is mass producing medical face shields for doctors and nurses.

The sewing machines of craft-oriented helpers are working overtime too. According to Etsy CEO Josh Silverman, “There are now 20,000 shops on Etsy selling face masks.”

Sewing face masks seems positively patriotic, but what about those of us who can’t sew? My sister is sewing up a storm at home. I found myself feeling kind of out of sorts that I wasn’t part of the sewing brigade.

I decided to take a walk and mull over my feelings of helplessness. A peaceful, tree-filled cemetery with the first burial dating back to the 1730s sits close to my home, so I decided to wander there.

The answer lay at my feet everywhere I walked. Groundskeeping of cemeteries isn’t considered an essential service during a pandemic.  The normally meticulously kept grounds were covered in fallen tree branches from a recent storm that had brought heavy winds.

I realized the staff who would normally pick up branches and other detritus weren’t there to keep the sacred grounds inviting and safe for visitors. Like a busy beaver, I began making piles of sticks and larger branches, making it easy for the very limited staff to pick up later. I posted in my local community Facebook group and encouraged others who enjoyed the cemetery as much as I did to follow suit.  Within a day, I began to notice new piles of branches that I hadn’t created. I smiled, knowing others felt a similar desire to help keep the grounds a place of beauty and serenity for all who visit.

It’s easy to believe that the people who sew or manufacture masks are somehow ‘better’ helpers during this global crisis.  But this flies in the face of what the bible tells us.

1^st Corinthians chapter 12:21 and 22 say this,

“²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

Paraphrasing – “And the crafty mask sewer cannot say to the stick picker-upper, “I have no need of you.’”  Nor the person who donates their blood to the person who sings a cheery song.”  No, much rather, even the little guy’s contribution matters.

The apostle Paul wrote the above scriptures to the church at Corinth because some in the body of Christ thought their gifts (talents) were better than others and acted like it. Others were mad that the talents God gave them seemed really small and unimportant in comparison. Paul emphasized that no part of the body is more important than any other.

Paul was essentially saying, “Sew what?”   Some of you can sew, some can give blood, some pick up sticks, some sing cheery songs.

It doesn’t make you less important in the body of Christ if you can’t sew. Perhaps you never learned. It doesn’t make you less important if you can’t give blood. Perhaps you are anemic. It doesn’t make you less important if you can’t pick up branches because you have a bad back. It doesn’t make you less important if you don’t sing cheery songs because you can’t carry a tune.

You are still a very important part of the body of Christ! No need to brag or feel sorry for yourself, whatever your gifts may be.

Be ever thankful you have gifts to give, and be humble about what your gifts are.

Thank you to all who are helping to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this crisis. Your gifts are necessary!