“Toss me my pattern square,” dad said while cutting out laying boxes in the chicken coop. “What’s wrong with the one in your hand?” I countered. Never losing stride as he fitted the current square into its rightful place. “Oh, Sis, you must never do that. You see, when cutting identical pieces of boards, you must always use only one board as the pattern.” Using the board, you just cut as the pattern; the length will grow by a small amount each time. Eventually, the boards you just cut will not fit the space.”
“Same is true with us,” he continued. We must always use Jesus as our pattern, or the nature of man will continue to grow until we no longer look like Jesus, whom we are called to emulate.”
In the New Testament, Paul established a pattern for the preservation and transmission of the Gospel. It starts with an imprint of Biblical teaching that passes to the succeeding generation- without addition or subtraction.
When I was in Jr. High school, I ran track. The 200-meter relay was my favorite. Speed mattered, but it had to be coupled with endurance. I needed to maintain my pace for the entire 200 meters. If I slowed down, even for a moment, other runners would pass me up.
Upon waiting for the baton to find my hand, I would be set in “Go“- hand extended behind me, looking for the handoff. My heart was pounding, and my feet were ready to run.
As soon as my teammate’s foot hit the marker, I started my pace. Only now, I was to look forward, never looking back. When I felt the baton between my thumb and forefinger, I gripped it and began my sprint. It was my time to run.
“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus, the good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in you.” 2 Timothy 1:13-14
“The cut increases by the width of the pen or pencil marker you’ve used each time you make a new mark,” Dad said. “Same thing happens to us. Each generation allows the lines to be a little more blurred until, eventually, the board won’t fit where it was supposed to go. You must stick with the original pattern. Without question.
My race began when I married Chuck, but now, a handoff has begun. It is our turn to pass on what has been entrusted to us to our girls.
Our former pastor said he would pray for his kids on the way to school. His very young son, then, would pray along with him. One day, Pastor Randy was praying fast, and his son said, “Slow down, Papa, I can’t copy you.”
I tore paper out of my notebook and jotted the quote down. That piece of paper is still hanging in my girl’s closet. Why? Because I need to be reminded constantly to keep to the original pattern so that one day my girls can run with the baton Chuck and I place in their hands.
