Basket Making
by Virginia Saunders
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
John 15:5
The Bible asserts that the universe is a testimony to God’s existence and precision. The psalmist writes, the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, no language where their voice is not heard. (Psalm 19: 1-3) God created things to function in an orderly fashion and He continues to keep things in order. His handiwork is present everywhere for all to view.
In my earlier years in Rome, I acquired the skill of making baskets to supplement our income. It all began when our girls were entering Jr. High and we lived on a very tight budget. There were cheerleader outfits to buy plus all of those club dues and on and on. I needed money-making projects to help with these expenses. I was introduced to Kudzu by my friend, Lynn Maddox, who taught me more about the bible and having a relationship with “God” than the actual basket weaving. Then, God taught me about himself and the Christian life by using the invasive vine called Kudzu.
If you have seen pictures of Kudzu you know that it can cover anything, a car, a house, or even a small town because it grows a foot a day. It was brought to the USA from Japan mainly to help with erosions. It was also used to make wallpaper, delicious jelly and it has a delightful flower that grows in the summer. There are Kudzu queens, kudzu balls, salads, medicine, and I could go on…
My friends and I would go out into the woods with our waders, bug repellent, and trusty clippers in hand to seek the most pliable, mature vines we could find. The best vines hang from the trees and are sometimes wrapped around branches too high to reach, so we pull on them with all our might to get them loose. Sometimes you would see us swinging on the vines like Tarzan, which was fun until the vine broke!
The process of choosing the right vine was based on their color, pliability and size. You need thin light brown ones for wrapping the bottom. Then you graduate up in size depending upon the size of the basket you want to make. I have made baskets large enough for a bed for a Labrador.
At the end of our search we would gather our vines, wrap them in a neat pile, and head home to weave them into beautiful baskets, each one with their own personality.
The vines, now cut from their source of nutrient, had to be used within 10 or so days or they would become brittle and no longer pliable. The first thing in making a basket is to find good ribs for support and then weave smaller vines to secure. The remaining vines are woven according to the vision we have for the basket. Each vine has its own character. Some were straight, some had knots, and some twists. Once the bottom was formed, we started up the ribs to build the basket. We could make our baskets lean left or right or just be a traditional type basket. The finishing touch was finding just the right piece for the handle. Once the basket was finished, we sprayed it with acrylic spray to preserve its character.
There are so many spiritual lessons to be learned from Kudzu basket making. Just as the vine survives only as it is connected to its root, if we are not connected to God through daily fellowship with him, we cannot grow. Without this fellowship we like the vine, will dry up and not be fit for use.
God says in his word that He is the potter and we are the clay. We are fashioned the way God intended us to be. As it says in John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit.” It is important to accept yourself for who God has made you. Most of us, if we are honest, would rather be the beautiful handle rather than the bottom of the basket. Whether you are a handle, the side, or the bottom of the basket, you have a special role in His plan. He is our maker and designer.
Just like the flower on the Kudzu vine, we are to be a sweet smelling aroma to all those around us to testify to God in our lives. “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:15
Watch over your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23) It is important that we preserve ourselves, not with acrylic spray but with the word of God. Guard your heart and protect yourself by giving yourself to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Satan is a lion prowling around looking to see whom he can destroy. (1 Peter 5:8)
Who knew that God could use something like Kudzu to teach us a lesson in being a bearer of fruit and teaching us that we must abide in Him, the true vine!
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