Miss the First Buttonhole
Wolfgang von Goethe, the German poet, playwright, novelist, and scientist, has written this amazing thought: “If you miss the first buttonhole, you will not succeed in buttoning up your coat.” Reading this again, I wondered why the man considered the great German literary figure of the modern era would come up with such a silly idea. Then I read the quotation a second time and realized the truth of this thought.
For example, I love to knit. I especially like to make socks because they go together quickly (yet one has to knit two of them). However, to begin a sock, it is too easy to “miss the first buttonhole.” The stitches are cast on a single needle but must be divided into three double-pointed needles so the sock can be knit in the round – no seams. The challenge arises in knitting the first row. The first stitch must join together with the last stitch cast on to form the round. These single stitches have a tendency to twist on the needle. A twisted stitch cannot be corrected if it has once been knit to another stitch. The whole cast-on procedure has to be done again. Talk about “missing the buttonhole !” I have “missed” many times.
My mom could make the most beautiful looking and delicious tasting yeast breads and rolls. Buts working with yeast always intimidated me. After I had a kitchen of my own, I decided to make some cinnamon rolls. It was a disaster; I had used milk that was too hot. It killed the yeast so the rolls could not rise. I had “missed the first buttonhole.” However, with a little practice (and a family who would still eat my mistakes), I learned how.
When I read the quotation a third time, I realized “missing the first buttonhole” does not only apply to personal experiences like knitting socks or learning to work with yeast, but it can also affect possible life-changing events too.
The month of July has been a significant month for me. My husband began his ministry on July 8, 1951, and our lives took on a completely different slant after that. The beginning was a “buttonhole” experience because we thought when we left California, a church was waiting for us in New Lisbon, Indiana, so he could go to Butler University on a part-time basis to earn a seminary degree. When we arrived, we learned that he would not only have to preach, but the congregation would have to vote before he could be hired. We arrived in town on a Friday and one of the elders of the church took us in and his wife fed us. Pete had Saturday to prepare his sermon which he preached the next day, Sunday. We sat outside in our car while the people voted. There was one negative vote, so he got the job. Over the years, Pete said many times, “That was the worst sermon I ever preached.” As I look back, I remember how young we were, how optimistic and confident that all would work out, but I don’t know what we would have done if Pete had not found that “first buttonhole.”
No doubt you can remember “buttonhole” experiences in your life where the first movement, action or event has made all the difference. During those stims, I hope you always found the “first buttonhole.”