Dyeing

Periodically, I will get asked to do a dyeing workshop or having someone asking me to teach them how to dye (or asking technical dyeing-related questions via email or the blog), so I thought it would be good for me to explain how and when I teach people to dye and why.

Let me begin by saying I do NOT believe within the body of Christ we should be in competition with one another. I believe that the Lord has a role for each of us and we need to work with Him to determine what that is and go do it. I am actively in relationship with others who do things similar to Dyed4you and have sent people to order from them in the past when pricing or products from the other individual will meet the need better than what I can create.

Sales

The only people I want buying from Dyed4you are the ones that GOD wants buying here. I’ve priced my products fairly to make them as accessible as possible to those who want them, but this is also the livelihood the Lord has put me in and as He says, “a worker is worth their wage” – so I walk a fine line balancing between the two (one reason I mention price because often lack of funds drives people to ask for insight into making their own – but the fact is the Father provides for what He wants us to have).

I ask the Lord for every price on every product I offer, I’m not pricing them, HE is. This is why I don’t run “sales” often – because frankly I can’t afford to and also it sends the message I’m overcharging you the rest of the time, which I am not. I only do sales or specials when He says to, which is very rare. But I digress…

In my efforts to not be competitive within the body of Christ, in the past I was very free with information. Answering any and all questions thrown my way. Aside from the fact that this took an enormous amount of time, I realized me doing so was not always pleasing to God. Let me explain.

A Background Story

In a dialog with someone, they shared with me that the Lord had called them to paint silk (which is a completely different process from dyeing silk). I was excited for them and wanted to encourage them in what the Lord had called them to do, so I offered to give them some silk painting equipment I’d purchased during the early phases of Dyed4you when I was still learning to stay within the confines of what God had called me to do 😉

They were grateful and asked if when we got together I’d do a demo on silk dyeing just for fun, which I agreed to (I confess when I asked God, He never told me “yes” to do it, but because He never said “no” I did it… I learned that lesson well through this too! Always get the “yes”!).

After the demo, I was getting a lot of emails from this person asking for very specific dyeing information. I was literally spending hours responding (I have a teaching anointing so when I do teach, I have to give details and make sure it’s clear). I spent weeks doing this and was finding myself getting more and more frustrated with each email – I suddenly realized there was no grace to do this and paused to pray and find out why. He reminded me of what the individual had been called to do… paint silk, not dye it.

So I asked via email what the Lord was speaking to them that they were to be doing (I thought perhaps He’d given a new word, and wanted to allow for that without making assumptions). The response was what startled me into some deep insight – they said that they didn’t have time to pray through all that because they had some prophetic scarves to dye before an upcoming conference where they were to be selling them.

The Lord immediately showed me that what I had done was equip someone to walk in an area that He had NOT called them to. I had equipped them to create counterfeits that some might be taken in by not realizing the difference. He made it clear that I was just as guilty as this person walking outside His will because I had made them able to do it.

The Moral

Do I teach people to dye? Absolutely, but you better believe I don’t do it unless He tells me to!

Functioning in the Anointing

Anything we do not under the unction of the Lord will get burned up… none of those works will stand in His presence. As a body, if the liver decides it wants to be an eye and starts to refuse to be a liver – the whole body is deprived! We need to function in His anointing – be only where He has called us to be.

What I’ve learned is just because we can do something does NOT mean we should. I can dye cotton, but I am NOT anointed to do it, so I don’t. I can sew clothing, but I am not anointed to do it, so I don’t. So again – what is HE calling you to do.

Many people make their own flags, and I put how-tos on this site for the specific reason of assisting those who are called to do so, but there is a different anointing on something made by the hands of someone anointed to create it. It’s like comparing a master chef with a McDonalds’ employee or saying that someone with a cheap point-and-shoot camera takes pictures as well as a trained wedding photographer. There is a difference when we allow those who are called to do what they are called to do and support them in doing so.

As we see in 2 Chronicles 2 there are artisans Father calls to create for Him. I strongly believe that only those who are called to create for Him should do so. Anything created in the flesh is a counterfeit, which robs the individual creating of functioning in what they are called to (see 1 Corinthians 12 to see we are different parts of the same body and a hand cannot be an eye nor vice versa) and they are stealing from those who use the counterfeit creations because they are keeping them from using something created under the anointing of Holy Spirit.  In America especially we tend to believe we can “be whatever we want” but scripture does not support that notion.  We are only truly fulfilled if we become what He created us to be.

Who I Mentor in Dyeing

If I am going to teach someone to dye, rarely is it just a technical thing. Anybody can buy dyes and silk and try their hand at it. But If I’m going to mentor them, it’s about a relationship. Learning how to flow in prophetic dyeing – hearing what He’s saying, not controlling the word, avoiding analysis paralysis, waiting on His timing, etc. It’s not a quick thing and I don’t spend the time lightly.

To date the only people He has released me to teach are people I am already in relationship with. I don’t really expect this to change because how can I know if I am being a good steward and only passing what’s been given to another good steward if I don’t know them? Relationship is key.

If you feel like God’s talking to you about prophetic dyeing, you’re welcome to ask me and I will pray about it. I may say no, yes, or not yet. I will want to build a relationship with you first. I may see areas that could cause you to stumble that I might encourage you to address first. Please don’t be insulted by that, it is simply me working to be a faithful steward of what the Lord has given me.

Future of Dyed4you

The Lord’s showed me that in the future there will be people dyeing for Dyed4you all over the place, not just me – Meghan – here in St Louis. I have already begun that mentorship with a few individuals and what you may not realize is that they and intercessors associated with Dyed4you frequently write the words that go with the scarves. I love to see how He flows 🙂

In Closing

Hopefully that clarifies for anyone who was curious! Again feel free to contact me if you have questions, but please be direct about what your motives are for asking and what the Lord’s saying to you. I’m not trying to hide secret recipes here, just trying to be an obedient steward and I appreciate your support in doing so! Bless you 🙂