Sewing requires a certain amount of precision. I piece quite a few quilt tops. If you wonder what I do with all of them, I do too. Maybe they will become wedding gifts…who knows.

Piecing requires a great deal of precision. Generally, a one quarter inch seam allowance is required for accurate piecing. Actually, though, it doesn’t matter what seam allowance you use, you just need to be consistent. If you sew all the seams the same width, your piecing will match exactly.

If you vary the seam by even 1/16th of an inch, it matters. It doesn’ t seem like much, but after 16 blocks that are varied by 1/16th of an inch, you will be off an entire inch. And that is very noticeable. But it happens so easily!

I have a helper when I sew. It is a foot for my machine with a 1/4 inch guide built right in. It helps me to stay on track and gives me a consistent seam width every time. It is possible to stray a bit, even with the specialized foot. But for the most part, it keeps me on the right track.

The importance of the small decisions is not lost on me in life. Just like wavering just a tiny bit over many seams causes me to be way off on my project, wavering in life over a long period of time also gets me way off where I want to be.

Read: 2 Samuel 11:1-5

David was the king of Israel and a man after God’s heart. He wanted to do the right thing. But this time, he wandered just a little at a time until he was a long way from where he wanted to be. If you have never read the story of David’s failure, it is well worth your time. Read 2 Samuel 11-12 for the full story.

David’s wandering resulted in adultery, murder and the death of his child. There were opportunities all along the way to correct his trajectory, but he didn’t do it.

Kings normally go to war in the spring. David stayed home.

David napped while his men defended the kingdom.

He noticed a beautiful woman who was not his wife. He could have looked the other way. He didn’t. He sent his people to find out who she was.

He learned she was another man’s wife. He could have stopped with that information. He didn’t. He brought her to his home.

David didn’t just fall into adultery and murder. He took small steps that led to a big downfall.

No one crumbles in a day. Are you making small compromises that take you away from where you want to be? Are the small choices leading you to big consequences?