Covered

The verse in Romans 4:7 tells us that ,”Blessed are those whose lawless beeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered.” The purpose of cloth is to cover things. There is really no other reason for it. It covers our bodies as clothing for warmth and modesty, tables have tableclothes to prevent damage from scratches, spills, and soiling, and to add decoration, to cover windows to keep out light and air (especially in the olden days when they did leak air), and to cover a vast array of beds and other items to provide warmth. Doilies cover tables to prevent scratches, wallhangings cover walls, tents cover people, sheltering from heat, cold, damp, and sun. We are obsessed with covering things. We cover the cushions on our furniture to make them more comfortable. We cover pillows with cases to make them more washable. We cover appliances to keep the dust and dirt out. We cover everything.

Not all coverings are cloth, of course. Siding and shingles cover houses, paint covers wood and cars, room interiors and canvas. Coverings have become an art form. The covering must look good as well as serve its purpose. It is not enough that we cover these things, but our coverings are asked to coordinate with one another. They are asked to be a certain shade or hue, a certain weight or denseness. A gauze is not going to cover a bed and serve the purpose. It must have weight, density, and enough fluff to capture heat and reflect it back to our bodies while not crushing us under its heaviness. Each covering has its own purpose and is made to fulfill that purpose and at the same time not cause damage or harm. Each covering is applied with the proper method and proper tools. Cloth can be layered and sewn together, but you do not sew siding to a house. It doesn't work. The covering may need thread, heat, brushes, or machines, but it needs to be applied to prevent damage somehow to the thing being covered.

God covered Adam and Eve when they sinned, and it took skins to do that...the first clothing, not of flax and linen and cotton, but of the skins of death. They were told that they would surely die, but He did not tell them that other living things would surely die, also. Romans 8 says that all creation longs for the day when it will no longer be held by the curse of sin. We long for the day when we will no longer sin, no longer fight self and God and others in the battle we wage on a daily basis. We want to run and cover ourselves in the garden like they did, covering, hiding our sin from God as if He didn't know it existed. We cover the rotting, decaying self, we cover to keep out the dust of the world that makes us dirtier than we already are.

But only one thing covers properly...our sins have been covered, but not by us. The forgiveness of those deeds and the covering of sin was not our doing. We are told not to cover our sins in 1 John...if we do, we will not be forgiven. So where does the covering come from? We are covered like the altar in the temple, with the blood of Christ. It is the only covering that completely does its work of preserving, cleaning, warming, and clothing us. It is the covering we are longing for, and it will look so good on us in heaven...it's the only red that when applied turns everything white as snow.

Are you covered, my soul? Are you covered, my friend? We know instinctively that covering is the necessary thing in life...and even moreso in death. I look forward to the day when that covering is proven to have done its job thoroughly and completely. Praise Jesus.

With Food and Clothing

I have been sick lately. A nasty cold took me down. I praised God for cold medicine to get me through days of teaching at a quilt retreat, always a good time. The medicine gave me my voice back, kept my sinuses from filling so I could think straight, and helped me sleep at night. Cuddled up in my own bed with Grandma Sowder's quilt stack on top of mine, I slept hard. This was not the ideal situation. I would have loved to have felt great, had all the energy in the world, and not had to worry about hoarseness of voice or attitude. But I was content to be able to function, teach, correct, and fulfill my contract as a teacher for the weekend. And I hope the students were content with me. The situation was not ideal, but we did accomplish the goal, to learn the blocks, tools, and patterns and get some parts together to come to an understanding and to correct problems that inevitably come up. The teacher may have sounded like a frog at times, looked like she was tired instead of energetic, and kept the lessons short and to the point when the voice went away, but they did accomplish their goal of learning what to do and had success in doing it, as well as enjoying the company of others.

1Timothy 6: 8 is a familiar verse...If we have food and covering (clothing), with these we shall be content. If you are reading this, you probably have far more than enough food for the day and one pair of clothes and a cloak (used as the blanket at night) to get through life. So how are you doing with contentment? Are you content with the food you have and the clothes you wear...or do you complain? Are you content with the stock of food in the pantry, fridge, and freezer, or do you complain? Are you content with the far more than food and few pieces of cloth in your life...like the cloth on your furniture, your windows, your floors (called carpeting), and your closets (called coats, hats, and gloves)? These are all beyond what should give us contentment, but these are the things that can make us the most discontent. My carpet is old and worn, the curtains, ditto, and the furniture of 18 years needs mended again. Someday, when the walls are repainted, the ceiling fixtures replaced, these things will be replaced with something that will make me happier, but will I be more content? What is contentment vs. happiness? It must indicate that we are satisfied with what God has given us, in the amount that He has given us, and in the place where He has placed us, even if it is not what we envisioned it could have been. We are happy that things worked out as well as they did instead of groaning that they could have and should have been better or that we deserved more. I don't have to sit on a cold floor, the wind doesn't blow through the windows and I can close the curtains and keep the sun out of my eyes in the afternoons, and the carpet can't be harmed by dirty shoes. Life is good.

I have closets and tubs of fabric, but I can look at it and not be content. I can feel deprivation in abundance, and so can you. Learning to be content means praise and gratitude for what we have and where we are in live, though it may not be ideal. This verse is in the context of those who thought that accepting the gift of Christ's love and forgiveness meant that they were going to get rich and be blessed. Paul gave up everything and did not complain, and he called Timothy to understand that his calling would most likely lead him down that same path. He warned him that if people started getting on him or using the gospel as a means of gain instead of a calling to serve, to avoid them like the plague. Having was not a blessing, and not having was not a curse, and vice versa...to those God gave much, they were asked to share in the ministry, using their abundance to further the kingdom. To those who had nothing, they were encouraged to keep trusting God to provide and to be content when He did, in whatever volume He sent. He continued in vs.. 17 to not equate much with blessing or think that God was looking more favorably on them because they had more than someone else. They were to store up treasure in heaven by giving it away here on earth and really experience life blessed by God here and in the life to come.

Contentment is a blessing in and of itself...it keeps us from comparing ourselves to others, keeps us thanking God for EVERY blessing of food and clothing, let alone all the extras in life that we take for granted, and keeps us in the mood to bless others with our over-abundance. That, people, is a fulfilling place to be.

And if you complain today, you know that contentment has not filled your heart. Use that complain-o-meter to remind yourself to thank God every moment for they over-abundance of blessing we experience every day of our lives. Then, even when we have a cold that drags us down, we can be thankful and content to accomplish the tasks of the day that we have been given for His glory and our ultimate good.

Fabric offerings

Today I made a fabric “offering”. I ran across a missionary builder...a gal and her husband who travel across the country building churches to save them money and to build the church, as well as the building, in the communities where God sends them. They live in a 5^th wheel and raise support to continue the work. They are not rich; they live on less than most folks and do not have money to spend frivolously. This is where the offering came in.

She, like me, loves to sew and craft and create and GIVE. This woman is a giver in every sense of the word. She gives her time, her body, her life, her created gifts from fabric or other resources, for other people. I know she cannot afford to go out and buy fabric and supplies in near the quantity or quality that I can and have. So I asked her to think about if there is anything she needs that I might be able to supply. She will get back to me tonight or tomorrow before they leave to go back to work and building.

Like any fabric lover, I collect the fabrics I like when I can find them cheap, or if they will be gone forever if I don't. I sort through it occasionally and dream of what I can make out of it someday. I pet it and store it and dream about it. And today I offered it! What was I thinking? What if she says she needs 3 yards of a green country color to finish a quilt? Or a backing? Or is out of batting? What if the thing she needs is what I have bought, stored, and loved and planned over? Am I really ready to give it joyfully? Willingly? Or should I have kept my big mouth shut? I guess I will know in 2 day's time...not if she needs or wants something I love. No, if my heart is as open as my mouth. Am I willing to give up even the best for my sister in Christ? An offering is a sacrifice...and I am not sure if my offering in my heart was of my overage and abundance, or if I was really offering from all I have, even the stuff I LOVE. But the offer is out there and she will not know the difference – whether it was close to my heart or just making a tote of fabric less stuffed. All she knows is that I offered to meet her need if she had one.

God made an offering for us...Jesus...who is our priest, but was also our offering. He was the best God had to offer. He had Him sitting right there on the throne next to Him, and He sent Him to the world, knowing that they would not only cut Him up, but discard Him like a filthy rag. I know my friend would take anything I offered her and treat it with respect just because it was given in LOVE. God went one step further and gave His best anyway, redeeming the very ones who would not treat either of them with all of the respect, worship, and devotion that They deserved. He KNEW what we needed, and only the best would do, and we had no way of offering it to Him. So He provided it for us, knowing the outcome before making the offering. THAT is amazing love. That is a true offering.

Yes, Peggy, you can have anything you want. God has blessed me with more than I need, and if the best I have leaves the premises, I will rejoice that there is another best in that sewing room for me to rejoice in. I know she won't take it all, but I need to be willing to give it all, just as God and Christ gave all for me...and in that I rejoice.

And I know that what she takes, if anything, will be a reminder for her of how much I love her. It's all a win-win. Love wins all the time. God's love won her over, me over, and I hope, you over. He proved to be our friend by giving, and I am most like Him when I do as He did.

Love you, Peggy. Again, is there anything you need from my sewing room?

Finding the Lost

Today I worked doing inventory at the local quilt shop. It is 2.5 miles down the road on a century farm. She has added on to her building 3 times, and it is full of fabric, books, patterns, tools, and all the rest of what you find in a quilt store. It looks like a lot of stuff, but you don't realize how much is a lot until you have to count it. There is more paperwork involved in accounting for every bolt, cut piece, and article to make a quilt than you could ever imagine!

So we count the cost...the cost of every piece in the place, so she can pay her property taxes, income taxes, and other taxes. Fortunately the computer will do most of the calculating, but we have to touch or look at (or for!) every thing that was bought and put into that building.

Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. They look tirelessly for those lost things. We try, at the shop, to find every lost item...some are easier to account for than others. Some are misplaced and found out of place. Some have been stolen...yes, quilters do steal. Some are mislabeled and have the wrong numbers on them. Some fall behind cupboards, or were used for samples and never accounted for, and who knows what else could have happened to them. We look for a reasonable amount of time for the lost item. We really do. But sometimes you have to stop looking because it is not there to find, for whatever reason.

But Christ says that none than belong to the Lord will ever be lost. He will chase us down if we try to run away or wander and get lost. He carries us home if we are too weak to make the journey back on our own. He is the ultimate shop-owner! He accounts for our every move. We are never out of His tender care and watchful eye.

We also put things into the sale area...stuff that has lost its favor in the owner's eyes. If she doesn't like it anymore, if it has lasted longer than it should have, or if room needs to be made for the new fabric coming in, it must go. The price is reduced. Sales are advertised. And, in the end, if no one wants it, it may be sold off for less than it's purchase price. It is a dud and a liability instead of an asset.

That is not the way it is with Jesus. We may totally lose our appeal to the world, and may even get scolded by the Savior as the churches in Revelation, where he warned them of their tendencies of drifting away. But He still bought them with His blood, and His blood is never devalued, nor can we be devalued in the eyes of the Lord.

Let's not test His patience by wandering, dropping out of sight so we can't be found for a while, or not working well with the others in the church like a bolt that has no companions and is ultimately sold off cheap because nothing goes with it. Let's be easy to find, to account for, and compliment those around us so we are not in danger of being thought of as fairly worthless and sale-bin worthy. Jesus bought us...we are not our own...we've been bought with a price...therefore, glorify God...

For the Least

We talked yesterday about those without warmth...in celebration of that daughter's birthday today, I will continue this thought. (It was her birthday when I wrote this a couple of weeks ago, but I still honor her service today.)

It is interesting that Prov 31 doesn't clump all of the fabric work into one set of verses. They are scattered...it starts in vs 13

13 – she gathers wool and flax

• she works with her hands

19 – she uses the distaff and spindle

21- household clothed

22 – makes bedding

• makes clothing

24 – makes linen garments to sell

• makes belts and sashes

25 – clothed in strength and dignity

31 – praised for the fruit of her hands

• works praise her in the gates

What comes between all of these references to sewing and fabric?

One of them is extending her hands to the poor and stretching them out to the needy.

It is my privilege this month to talk to the quilt guild I belong to about Project Linus and other worthy causes that accept gifts of quilts, clothing, and other homemade things for the poor and needy. For those in distress. For those who do not feel the warmth of a family, a friend, or a God who loves them. These are practical needs. A quilt for warmth and comfort and at least a sense of home is welcome universally. Little dresses for Africa (or Haiti) to give warmth, cover, and dignity to girls abandoned by their families and cultures in foreign lands. Pillowcases give people something soft on which to lay their heads. Jesus said he didn't have one of those, and that meant that not having a place to lay your head was a true sign of deprivation and poverty. All of these cloth-made things are warmth and comfort to a needy world.

What are you doing with your fabric? Are you using at least some of it to warm someone's body or soul? Are you storing up this fabric like the rich man filling his barns, only for selfish ends, or is the end to be a blessing to your family and to your world? Would you have given Jesus a pillow, a place to lay His head? When you do it for the least of the brethren, you do it for Him, too. What is God showing you you can give?

Warming Up to You

So we are to work with eager hands, to be a merchant ship, bringing in the goods to benefit our families, and to enjoy the process. This whole idea is expanded in Proverbs 31. I am a quilter...well, more of a flimsy maker – a topper, if you will. Did you know quilting is in the scriptures? Right there in 31: 22. She makes coverings for her bed...the New Living Translation says it outright...she quilts her own bedspreads! It says a few verses ahead of that that she does not fear the cold...it means her family is warm with her work...the clothes, the bedspreads, the work of the spindle and distaff...this gal not only sewed the stuff together, she made her own fabric! The time, the love, the commitment to do all of that work, what must have seemed like labor, all to provide for the basic need of life – warmth. The scriptures stated that a man must not have his mantel taken from him...those wraps that would keep him from being cold in the night, and without which he may not survive. Warmth...we think of it in terms of a cozy fire, or happy feelings toward another...but I have learned through my dear daughter that warmth is a basic need.

She is in India right now...in a town in the foothills of the Himalayas, working at a school and home for boys who have no families, or whose families can't care for them. The buildings are built to shed heat, for most of the year it is too hot and very humid. But now it is winter...it still gets warm during the day...70s or so, but the nights are now COLD. 40s. She has learned that she needs warmth. She is in the building, but there is no heat (or air for those hot days). This is the atmosphere most of the world lives in...and we feel all righteous about turning the thermostat down at night to save money!

Warmth...we need it...and so do others around us. Even my daughter has shelter, but she sees the people who are sleeping in the streets. She sees them wrapped in their rags, trying to keep warm.

So the point...are we able to warm ourselves, our families, and our world? To what end are we using all this fabric that God has lovingly bestowed on us? Are we just warming their outsides? What about their inner person, their very soul? Are we cold toward the people around us, or do we hold out the warmth of a loving hand? Are we breath and life to them? There is no such thing as a cold breath. The little puffs that appear when the weather is really cold tells us that we are warm inside, but would anyone notice it if we were not forced to breathe out?

I did not grow up warm...inside or out. I froze all the time. I huddled up with tons of blankets and curled into my little ball in my bedroom, breathing under the sheets to add heat under those blankets as fast as I could. My outer life was much the same. I was cold. I had no idea how to live myself, let alone give life to others. I was miserable and made others miserable. Then the warmth of God's Spirit did His work, melted my frozen heart, and allowed me to in turn spread some of that warmth around. I still am not a furnace, by any stretch of the imagination. But the cold is gone. The fire may subside and need new wood piled on, but the embers are still warm enough underneath to get the blaze going again.

I really have to work at warmth. The natural tendency is to want to get it more than to radiate it out to others...may His glow of warmth and welcome emanate from His people, you and I, to bring warmth into this natural cold and selfish world. And if sewing on a quilt top or cuddling under a blanket can remind me of that, all the better. I will have the daily reminder in my sewing room all year round. And then I get the gift of giving out the finished product to warm others.

Day 2

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the works of His Hands.

Working with the hands...the thing we love to do. God did it, we are commanded to do it...1 Thessalonians. 4: 10-12...We urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

This passage is telling us to keep our nose in our own business, work hard and support yourself so others are not burdened with caring for you, and the way to do that was to work with your hands. Prov. 31:13 credits the virtuous woman with looking for fabric – wool and flax – and working eagerly or with delight with her hands.

So we are, in essence, fulfilling God's command to create...to love to work, to do it well, to make something that can benefit ourselves and others, and to enjoy doing it...to be eager to do it.

What a calling!

And don't you just love the unity of scriptures? And to find out that in some small way, we are also obeying them. I can't say that I obey them all, but this one, to keep my hands busy, is pretty easy to do.

A couple of years ago I managed to hurt my right hand. It was terrible. I had gotten one of those thumb-roller-ball mouses for the computer, which irritated it, and then tried to open a window by reaching over the back of the sofa, downwards, and using my thumbs as the lifting force...big mistake. It not only hurt the thumb, it took out my neck and shoulder as well. After treatment by the chiropractor, I realized that this was not going to be a rapid recovery. I spent a whole month unable to use my right hand. I couldn't hold a pencil, a needle, or even a book in my right hand. I couldn't do much of anything. I held books with my left hand and used the outer side of my right hand to prop the book open. That was awkward, but doable. The ability to work with my hands was taken away from me. I prayed like never before to regain use of them. It was just a thumb, but I found out just why God created them and how inconvenient not having one was. The ideas in my head were not able to be carried out, and it was frustrating, but I chose to accept the downtime and read scriptures and the book by Bill Bright about dying. Strange thing at the age of about 50 to read a book about dying, but it spoke to me where I was. I had to die to myself for that whole month and not do the thing I felt created to do. And to draw near. To be with God and not just be like Him in the desire to create. And it was refreshing. I told God that if I was never able to use my hand again that I would still worship and create in any way that He would let me, and if taking my hobby away was His goal that I was ok with that. If it was a redirection, I would take that other road and trust that it was better than the one I was on.

Needless to say, I am using that hand to type right now. I use it to grip and hold, to cut and sew, to worship in the way that I can, by serving others by sewing. And I am grateful. For the thumb and all of the lessons it taught me, as well as how well it works right now. And to be able to again follow the mandate of Thessalonians to work with my hands.  

I assume that if you are reading this, you love fabric as much as I do...

There is something about that uncut yardage and pieces of scraps that makes the mind spin. What can I do with this? I see visions of quilts, aprons, bags, and all sorts of other things. The patterns, textures, colors, and designs all swirl in a grand invitation – USE ME to make something beautiful! Useful! Pleasing to you or to someone else. But USE ME!

The creative process is borne of things like bolts and roles of fabric. Creativeness is inbred in us...we often try to deny that it exists, saying we are not creative...but we are because we were made in the image of God.

Scriptures start with Genesis- In the beginning God created...and a few chapters later we are told that we are made in God's image. We do not have His power to create with just the spoken Word, but we do work with the creation that He did speak into existence. I often ponder what Adam and Eve did “working” in the garden...the perfect place...they must have rearranged or decorated or something...there were no weeds to pull and they didn't need to gather and store for a rainy day or winter season...so their work had to have been creative, taking the fabric of the world around it and using it to make useful, artful, delightful things to show God just how much they appreciated the glory of what He had given them.

As I look at my overwhelming stash of fabric that has taken over more than one room in my house, I thank God for the creativeness that He has instilled in me, and in you! The ideas I get for creating come out of seeing what others have created...the patterns and books, the designs and techniques...they come from the creativeness of others.

And together we can all rejoice in the Works of His hands, that we may, in this little way, be like HIM.