Check out all of the tiny pieces.
My husband inherited this fabulous quilt from his grandmother. Some quilts have very intricate designs and some tell stories. But, most of them are works of art created for warmth from whatever scraps the seamstress had access to. Once upon a time, not so long ago, people didn’t throw things away when they got worn. They re-used them in a different way. Recycling was born.
From clothes with holes to flour sacks, if it was made of fabric, it was usable and it was used. Those tiny pieces of scraps created something beautiful and useful. People saw the possibility in what seemed to be trash.
God is a lot like that with our lives. We make huge mistakes and messes that stem from bad decisions and the Master Weaver takes our garbage and creates something beautiful and useful.
In my own life, I had a disastrous marriage in my early twenties that ended in a painful divorce. I remember being on my knees praying that God would forgive my mistakes and lead me back into His will for me. He did. I prayed more and listened more. I began to follow His lead, not mine and he sent me a fantastic Godly man to share my life with. Then, He blessed me with two great kids.
Next, He lead me to teach a Sunday school class which was kind of intimidating, because there was no curriculum and it was middle schoolers and I had toddlers. I reluctantly answered the call. I really had to start reading the Bible and I enjoyed the class and the kids and what I was learning.
We changed churches and my hubby and I got to participate in an adult class for the first time and we enjoyed it too. We learned a lot together. Then, there was a need for someone to teach the middle schoolers. This time, we both answered the call. We have learned so much about God and grace from the kids and from each other.
I would have never believed in my twenties that I could have been so fulfilled and useful in my forties, but God knew. Just as He knew with Ester, when she agreed to stand up for her people or Ruth, when she decided to follow her mother-in-law to a foreign country, even though her husband had died.
These women had some hardship to overcome and they had difficult decisions to make. But, God was able to take their scraps and weave a beautiful story that eventually produced a savior. Who would have known?
My hubby’s grandmother’s quilt
God is the greatest recycler of all time. Give Him your mess and watch what He can create. Just be prepared to be amazed! Feel free to share how God has used your mess to make something beautiful.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂