A knitting group’s change of scenery changes lives in unexpected ways
Margaret, Rose, Jane, and Fran had a good thing going: meet every week in the quiet of their peaceful chapel and knit prayer shawls. No muss, just ministry. That is, until their pastor boots them out of the church in his last-ditch effort to revive the dwindling congregation.
Uptight Margaret isn’t having it. Knitting prayer shawls where people can watch is the most ridiculous idea she’s ever heard of, and she’s heard plenty. Prayer belongs in the church, not out among the heathen masses. How are they supposed to knit holiness into these shawls if they’re constantly distracted by the public? But with no choice, the others embrace the challenge. They pack their knitting bags and drag Margaret—grumbling the whole way—to the mall with them. She can’t wait to prove them all wrong when it fails miserably, and show the pastor that she always knows best.
Without the familiar mold the group has been stuck in, their own losses, pain, and struggles rise to the surface. And the people and situations they encounter every time they try to sit quietly and knit are taking them a lot further out of their comfort zone than they ever imagined. Can they find the courage to tackle the increasing number of knotty issues they learn about in the community--or will the tangle be too much to unravel?
Sharon J. Mondragon’s debut is warm and delightful, full of real laughter, grief, and personality. It beautifully illustrates the power of women across generations to reach people for Christ.
To read an excerpt of The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady click here.
Sharon J. Mondragón writes about the place where kindness and courage meet. Her debut novel, The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady (originally titled The Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry) was the 2017 winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis award in the Short Novel Category, and she has also been recognized by The Saturday Evening Post where her short story, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” was an Honorable Mention Awardee in the 2014 their Great American Fiction Contest.
Mondragón has been active in prayer shawl ministry since 2008 and currently serves as facilitator for the prayer shawl ministry at her church, St. Paul Episcopal in Waxahachie, TX. She also knits with the Circle of Healing at Red Oak United Methodist Church. She is a Level 2 Certified Knitting Instructor through the Craft Yarn Council and teaches beginning knitting at a local yarn store.
Mondragón is the mother of five grown children and has four grandchildren. After 26 years as an Army wife, she has settled in Midlothian, TX with her hero/husband, her laptop, and her yarn stash.
Visit Sharon Mondragón’s website and blog at www.sharonjmondragon.com and follow her on Facebook (Sherry Mondragón) and Twitter
(@SJ_Mondragón).
Q: Tell us a little bit about your new book, The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady.
The four knitters of the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry are stuck—in a comfortable mold of ministry, a stagnant church, and at the points of pain they each have in their own life. All this changes when their pastor kicks them out of the comfortable, quiet prayer chapel to take their ministry out into the world. They end up knitting way out of their comfort zone at the local mall during the Christmas shopping season where anything can happen.
Q: Introduce us to the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry. Who are the members and what is the mission of the ministry?
The Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry has met from 9:30-11:30 every Wednesday morning for the past seven years to knit prayer shawls. They knit in the peace and quiet of the Prayer Chapel of Hope of Glory Community Church, praying silently. Margaret is the self-appointed leader of the group (she tends to take charge of whatever she’s involved in). Jane, a mother of teens, gives Rose a ride from Fair Meadows Retirement Community every week. Fran is a recent widow learning to knit as she begins to emerge from the fog of grief.
The purpose of their
ministry is to make shawls to comfort and encourage people who are ill,
bereaved or otherwise going through a difficult time. They pray as they knit to
infuse the shawls with a sense of the presence of God. The shawls are a
tangible expression of God’s love and care—a hug from God.
Q: What happens once a prayer shawl is finished? How is it decided who gets a shawl?
When one of the Heavenly
Hugs ladies finishes a shawl, Margaret attaches a tag with the words “Made for
you with love and prayer by the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry” on one
side and “You are not alone,” followed by the church’s contact information on
the other. Then the shawl is delivered to the church, where Father Pete and the
congregation pray over it the following Sunday. The shawl is then stored in the
church office to be given out to those who request one for someone they know
and care about who is having a rough time. On occasion, Father Pete or Lucille,
the church administrator, give them to someone who has come for counseling or
support.
Q: You are involved in actual prayer shawl ministry, aren’t you? Can you tell us more about it?
I made my first prayer shawl in 2008. It was for myself, akin to how flight attendants tell us to put the oxygen masks on ourselves before helping others with theirs. In 2009, I joined my first prayer shawl group. I was, once again, the new girl at church, due to a military move (my husband had been assigned to Fort Gordon, located just outside Augusta, Georgia). I joined the prayer shawl group in hopes of making some friends. It turned out to be so much more!
The Hands of Comfort Prayer Shawl Ministry did not meet at The Church of the Holy Comforter, but in the café of a local health food store. The pastor wanted us to ply our needles in public, not hidden away in the church building. People often stopped by our table to ask what we were making or to tell us about someone they loved who also knitted or crocheted. We were a warm and comforting presence in that space every week.
At first, I thought of prayer shawl making as something nice to do for hurting people, but I soon discovered that God wanted something deeper from me. Most of the shawls I made went into the supply at church. They were an act of faith, as I never knew who would receive them or exactly why the shawls were needed. Then I started to experience what I call “The Nudge,” that urge to make a shawl for a particular person. This involved a great deal of listening as I searched for the right yarn and pattern for each shawl. I began to pay attention to the situations that prompted the nudge and caught a glimpse of how much God cares about fractured relationships, unspeakable sorrow, and weariness of soul. Prayer shawl making has become a way to draw closer to the heart of God, to see people and situations through His eyes.
At the end of my husband’s military career in 2014, we moved to Texas to be closer to family (especially our marvelous grandchildren). I’ve since become the facilitator for the prayer shawl ministry at our church. Those who are able meet on Friday afternoons at a local coffee shop. We are not only friends and knitting (and crochet) buddies, but prayer partners, lifting up and encouraging one another.
Q: Do you have a new writing project in the works?
Yes, I do. I’m working on another prayer shawl novel. This story takes place at the retirement community where my character Rose lives. Sam Talbot is barely existing since his wife went into Memory Care at Fair Meadows Retirement Community. Life has lost all color and meaning—until he gets tangled up with flirtatious Jenny Alderman, crotchety crocheter Edna Booth, and the rest of the prayer shawl group Rose is heading up at Fair Meadows. The Woolgatherers make prayer shawls for the caretakers of folks with dementia, but they soon find out that God has much more in mind for each of them. Jenny, Edna, and Sam come face to face with uncomfortable truths about themselves and are challenged to embrace new ways of living and relating to God and others. It’s a story of love and loss, the pain of loneliness, and the power of community.
I’m excited about this
book because I feel it’s important to reach out and support those who love and
care for people with memory issues. We tend not to want to think about this
situation because the thought of developing memory problems ourselves is
frightening. It’s deeply distressing to watch someone’s memory and function
fade. Caretakers, however, need our love, concern, and support, even if it’s
simply a listening ear and a hug from someone who can recognize them. In this
book, I hope readers will gain a sense of God’s heart for caretakers and follow
Him in loving and caring for them. The care of both memory patients and their
caretakers is truly a place where courage and kindness meet.
My Thoughts
The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady is Sharon Mondragon’s debut novel. Every Wednesday, four women (Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry) meet in the Prayer Chapel of Hope of Glory Community Church to knit prayer shawls. One day, Father Pete tells them that for next month they will be unable to use the Prayer Chapel because it is being painted. He suggests that the group meet in a public place. This throws the groups unofficial leader, Margaret Benson into a tizzy. This just might be what each woman and others in the community need. I enjoyed reading this sweet story. It shows us that you never know what God might have in store for you. The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady is a charming story that really resonated with me. I enjoyed how this group of women helped others by knitting and praying. I thought the book was well-written with steady pacing. The characters are developed and realistic. I loved Father Pete with his ideas, his enthusiasm, and clever t-shirts. I liked that we get to see what happens when we relinquish control and let God be in charge. There is a prayer shawl pattern at the end of the story along with information on prayer shawl ministries. The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady is a special tale that is emotional, encouraging, and uplifting.
Kris
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sounds like a great book. Adding to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThe shawl in your first picture at the top of your post is beautiful. A lovely selection of colors and pattern. I do not knit even though I did at one time try to teach myself. Didn't work. We have a woman who makes lap quilts and distributes them to the veterans at our local VA hospital. As with your prayer shawls, they are a loving reminder that you are not alone or forgotten. As another military wife, little gestures like this help make the move a bit more smooth.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the interesting post and the giveaway.