Forty Days of Prayer for Quilters – Day 7

Maybe You’re Thirsty – Revisited

This phrase comes to mind now and again, often when the moments of life are pointing every which way. Drinking when thirsty quenches and nourishes our bodies. We need water to live, for our bodies to function, to process food, to eliminate waste, to cry tears of joy, grief, relief, peace, sorrow, remorse, happiness.

The other day as I walked home from Mass I got to thinking about “maybe you’re thirsty” relating to the recent trip to Market, the quilt top I was in the midst of piecing for a blog hop, and organizing images for the fabric lines I wanted to share on TerifiCreations. I’ve been through dry periods where staring at the door to my sewing studio longing to enter in and make…something. Oh how the dryness ached in those moments. Eventually something primed the pump, the quilt making would return.

Over the winter though. Oh, how the dryness filled my soul, straight to my heart, and mind. I’d go in there do some stitching then walk away. That was worse than not being able to go in as I saw, and see the work teasing me with the beauty and no way to fully express it. Two projects sit waiting for the moment my hands are ready to take up the work again.

After going to Quilt Market something shifted, continued shifting. The making of a quilt for a blog hop (June 11th on terificreations.com) from a pattern. This simple pattern offered me a framework that serves as a reminder of why I do quilt making: because it gives me life, brings joy, is refreshing. It is the experience of drinking deeply of cool refreshing water. This isn’t a mirage in the desert. This making is refreshing, soaking into the parched earth of my being, signs of life peek through with the green of hope.

I see the beauty of musicians retrospective albums revisiting a place when the work was great joy. There is no intent of staying in this place, for we know deep down this isn’t the place where we work now. This place is visited for the pick me up. Every now and again I see the first patchwork place mats lovingly stitched for my sister and her husband, the sweetness of making that gift, tracing the squares with a template, cutting with scissors, running the machine full tilt, the joy in giving. I visit the moment of recognizing Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament knowing that my life changed forever. I visit the moment of reading On the Dignity and Vocation of Women beginning to understand the beauty of femininity, the love and awe of the Church for who we are in spite of some not so loving stuff. Each of these moments hold drops of grace that remain like drops of dew on leaves, there when needed.

The revisit reminds of a moment when pride wasn’t firmly in place demanding more “look at me”, “here I am aren’t I amazing” moments. Drinking slowly, deeply from the well renews; following a simple, efficient pattern renews.

Where are you being renewed?

Prayer: God of all Creation, guide our hearts and minds to see the beauty of drinking deeply, of being who you created us to be, to a deeper faith, and an honest inward look. Remind us to be grateful for the gift of fabric, thread, needles and the knowledge and understanding of how to use them. Let us visit the beginnings for a cool drink of water to refresh thirsty souls. Guard our hearts and minds from the thoughts that we’re absolute crap because the quilts we make aren’t perfect, our careers aren’t where we thought they’d be. Free us from the supposed to, to the creating the stuff for our family and friends.

Our Father…

God bless,

Teri