There are two songs running through my head, competing ear worms if you will. Mandisa’s “You’re an Overcomer” and “As the Deer“. As the deer comes from yesterdays reflection. And at the moment I’m feeling somewhat clueless as to why Mandisa’s song is wandering through my head and heart. I sometimes stand back and look at the last 5/6 years in awe still wondering how I got here. Wondering why? I sometimes wonder why there has been such a strong drive to “make it” in the national quilting scene? Is this drive from God? I certainly hope so. I sometimes wonder why I experience such deep peace when I sit down at the sewing machine and start to stitch. I wonder why I was able to work through the sheer frustration and tears of learning how to machine quilt. When I was a teenager I wanted very much to be a teacher – of little people. After just a few years of teaching Sunday School/Religious Education I realized that teaching kids isn’t for me – though I taught them on & off for years. I love little kids and when I’m with them one on one or in small groups I do fairly well with them. The thought of teaching kids full-time just well, uhm, no. Through this part of the journey I realized I wanted to work with adults. It’s a different approach, a different mind-set, a different way of working with people.
I love to encourage and cheer quilters on. I want quilters, especially new ones, to know that they can indeed tackle whatever challenge it is that they are doing. It’s challenging as adults to learn new things, we’ve forgotten the sheer joy and exhilaration in accomplishing something challenging, figuring it out. We get to the first challenge, maybe the 2nd and want to walk away because it’s too hard, we think we can’t learn anything more. I learned feathers and continue to explore them because another teacher reminded the crowd that we are smart and intelligent and we can do this.
From the first ever major quilt show I went to I KNEW I wanted to be a competitive quilter. That’s My Call. That’s my work, that’s what I’m supposed to do. As challenging as it is I’m certain that this is where God wants me, for now. In the quilting community. I knew in the 15+ years of ministry that’s where God wanted me. I still experience that deep sense of being in ministry. The look of being in ministry has changed.
Why these songs and how they relate? I have no clue. I trust that God has something to say.
God bless!
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 