Sometimes a tug on a loose string can lead to it separating completely, or staying firm, holding onto the place from whence it came. Other times, pulling on a string can begin the process of unraveling seemingly without end, as if both sides, loose string and the whole to which it belongs, have given up. Either way, some sort of repair is needed when pieces that were designed and knitted to fit together as a whole, become detached.

When there is separation, wherever it may be, both sides are vital to the process of becoming one again. What happens, though, when neither side seems capable of stopping the unraveling before it’s too late? What happens when neither side seems interested in being unified, and the end result is a pile of loose strings, thread, or yarn? … A complete falling apart? Catastrophe?

No, not at all. Despite how it may seem, there is always a way, either already present or coming into place. There is always hope and prayer to be exercised, and to lead forward.

It is the story of humankind. Vision born of faith, makes it clear that even when it seems things cannot be repaired, and when reconciliation seems impossible, there is birth, rebirth, and rebuilding. There is newness to be discovered.

Faith cultivates and beckons for efforts that are honest, just, and our best. Beyond and alongside that, all there is for one to do is to trust and keep doing that which is both possible as well as inspired through the pulse of one’s heart. Remembering that the extraordinary recovery, the unexpected turn around, or simply, a resolution, and peace, often comes at a time, and in a way, that is truly in the best interest of all.

Sometimes it is best to cut the loose string, and other times it is not. Whichever it is, the best thing to do, is to leave the decision in the hands of the One who knits all things well.

Thus says the Lord:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday. – Isaiah 58:7-10