Every now and again JP Sears video come into view for some reason. YouTube always has a sidebar showing related videos, this recent Tedx talk is at the top of the list, so that was next. About half way through he talks about being our authentic self, the difference between approval, and acceptance. An opening up, peeling back the layers of the things that we build up to protect our self from the potential of being hurt.
We are without a doubt fearfully, and wonderfully made.
Unique, and holy.
As I reflected on this, on this faith in culture type of experience, I got to thinking about the Pearl of Great Price, Buried Treasure, we’re always hunting for the unique and valuable. The thing of great beauty.
Peeling back the layers of: Hurt, Doubt, Misunderstanding, Words said in anger or frustration – means exposing them to the light and the air where they can heal. This is good, and it means dealing with them in some way…
“Time heals,” people often say. This is not true when it means that we will eventually forget the wounds inflicted on us and be able to live on as if nothing happened. That is not really healing; it is simply ignoring reality. But when the expression “time heals” means that faithfulness in a difficult relationship can lead us to a deeper understanding of the ways we have hurt each other, then there is much truth in it. “Time heals” implies not passively waiting but actively working with our pain and trusting in the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation. – Henri Nouwen
The active working on healing and becoming the authentic person God created me to be is a process, and one that means looking at those moments where the healing needs to happen, acknowledging the hurt, seeking God’s mercy and healing, and embracing that. We each have our own things, things that are hard to bring to the Light of God’s mercy. Listening in to what it is that God wants me to look at, longing to be open to healing. Trusting that I am. Knowing that this healing moment comes in a different way than it does for others. I so want this to be as simple as, “I forgive you” and moving on. My gut is telling me that I need to separate out some things that are all tangled up like so many spools of thread, partially unwound, and left unattended.
This process is not unlike figuring out what type, and style of quilting, what tools work best. Ya gotta try a lot of stuff before finding the right stuff for you. As we become more skilled, the tools change, we become more willing to try them, or, to get rid of them if they’re no longer working for us.
Several years ago I took a long hard look at my fabric stash. I gifted and shared some of it. Some of it became part of the kits for my students taking free motion quilting classes. There are still a few pieces in ready to go kits, reminding me that there are other ways of looking at things.
So here’s to peeling back the layers, authenticity, healing, growth, and embracing the person God wants me to be. There are clues and hints all around. In the fabric, in the words from others, in the beauty that is this day. Time to peel back the layers, get to the core, and share this person with you.
God bless!
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 