Have you ever stopped to consider how much of our lives are in knots? Think about it! We learn at a young age how to tie our shoes. We tie knots in embroidery floss to make friendship bracelets. What about nights spent brushing tangles out of our hair before bed? Knots are everywhere, whether good or bad. By definition, a knot is the tight and woven interlacing of something, connecting it to something else. When we start to think of it like that, we are really able to see that knots are all around!
If knots are all around, then they must be important to our everyday living. Let’s think about some common knots and see if we can begin to see what knots and tying might be able to teach us. Think about a boat tied to the dock. Depending on the size of the boat, one cord tied to the dock in a figure 8 fashion can keep a boat from drifting off to sea. The boat is able to move, but it isn’t able to leave.
What about climbing? The person who is climbing is tied to and guided by a rope and the “belayer.” The belayer is on the ground doing two things: allowing the climber to choose their path and ensuring that the climber doesn’t fall.
These ropes, knots, and ties? They can serve as good reminders for our relationships. We are all tied together, and it can be pretty dangerous not to be. Ropes and knots provide safety, guidance, and support. They are the things that hold us together and strengthen us when it seems like things are in danger of falling apart.
But what about what I said in the beginning? There are all sorts of ways to knot, secure, and tie. What do we choose? That’s the challenging part. Just like there are different methods for tying your shoes, there are different methods for holding people together. We know that some knots aren’t good. Knots in your hair or in your beloved grandmother’s heirloom necklace are not fun to untangle! Some knots take work and are painful. Unfortunately, there are some knots in our lives and in the lives of our children that will take some untangling. It can be hard work, but there is a bright side to untangling. You get the opportunity to tie a better suited knot! Isn’t that neat?
Practice makes perfect. Just like learning to tie your shoes, the end results come with a lifetime of consistency—and better shoe options too! What would it look like for you and your family to begin untangling the yucky knots and replacing those with some better suited knots? The lasting impact of a properly tied rope will allow for confidence and security as the members of your family are interlaced and woven by the love and support of a forever home.
