God's Design

I made my first quilt last Fall. It’s not so remarkable that I made one, but for me, it was remarkable that I finished it. I have a terrible habit of leaving things undone, especially if I’m not happy with the way it’s turning out. I get frustrated with my own limitations, and expect the end result to look like the picture in my head.

 

There was a lot of planning involved with a project that size.  I carefully plotted out my design, and spent hours cutting out three inch squares of fabric.  In the beginning, it didn’t look like much -- just a jumble of squares that seemed to have no purpose, and before long, I began to feel overwhelmed at the enormous task ahead of me. How could these mismatched pieces ever come together to look like the finished product I was hoping to see? I decided that if my ancestors could do it, so could I, and stubbornly ploughed through a mountain of fabric, piece by piece, until it began to take shape.

 

 I sewed it together, undid the stitching and stitched it again until I got it done ... not perfectly, but done. Some of the patches don’t quite line up and some of the blocks have too many of the same colour in them. There were days that I wanted to give up and save myself the trouble, but I persevered and felt a wonderful sense of  satisfaction at having completed this project. It is absolutely imperfect, but beautiful and useful.

 

I began to wonder if I lacked the same patience with people. Bent over my sewing machine, I had a lot of time to think about those in my life and how we are bound together. There are some who have disappointed, angered and hurt me, and unraveled my heart, so to speak, to the point of having to re-align the pieces of my frustrated days. The effort of loving them, seems futile at times, but I know that if I give up before the challenge is complete, all I’ll have left is a pile of scattered scraps that serve no purpose. People are not disposable.

 

God presents all of us with challenges in our relationships and the people in our lives don’t always measure up to our expectations. We start out with high hopes, and imagine what they might look like in the end, but can’t see how the mess in front of us will ever be completed. Just when we’re ready to quit, God whispers into our heart to keep trying. Like the quilt, it is painstaking work, but in the end it will be worth it. I’ve discovered I have a lot more patience with people than things, and my quilt is a reminder that our hearts are lovingly sewn together with others, creating something that’s beautiful and has a purpose.

 

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony

 (Colossians 3:12-14, New Revised Standard Version).

 

Written By: Kitty Nancekievill