Hosea, in all it’s loveliness, came to mind this morning.
Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life.
The book of Hosea tells of prophet, his marriage to a ‘woman of ill repute’, a separation, and a return to relationship. This allegorical book aptly, and adequately describes our relationship with God: on again/off again, sometimes down right cold and sinful deliberately turning away from Him, and sometimes living up to the Beautiful ideal.
All the while I’m thinking what if, what if men treated their wives as though she were the Blessed Virgin Mary. What if wives treated their husbands as though they were St. Joseph. Oh how we would treat one another with radical respect, and honor. Much more closely aligned with how Jesus treated both Mary and Joseph. It often seems as though Jesus is treating his Mom with disdain, however in learning more about the time, place, and culture Jesus is giving Mary respect. Honoring her in His words, and in his Deeds. I sometimes “joke” that the first public miracle was “booze for the boys”. A deeper look though Jesus responds fully and completely to Mary’s intercession on behalf of the celebrating couple. ”They have no wine.”
Then I got to thinking about Twilight in the Bronx. Twilight is one of my favorite quilts, while this is said of many quilts I look at Twilight and I see so much.
I see a, ”Yes!” to making changes. The link above takes you to a blog post on TerifiCreations showing the original quilting, heavily in black.
I see a willingness to make dynamic changes. I took out the seam ripper and pulled out most of that quilting.
I see a willingness to experiment with motifs and threads for visual interest.
I see the beginning of a bold journey into whole cloth quilts.
I was making this quilt ten years go. So there is gratitude, there is memory, there is color. This is the quilt that brought me into my forties. And I have ideas for the project that will bring me into my fifties, a project that is near and dear to my heart.
Oh the last few years have not been so fun, not unlike a bad relationship. Which I was in with God for a little while. Not because of anything God did, mind you. It was me, turning away…struggling with some things. Which isn’t bad, no, I think this has been good. Good to struggle, good to remain committed, good to be in LOVE with the one who loved me to the Cross.
And back to life.
I’m off to do a bit of writing, then later on a bit of stitching. I have a plan in mind, a good plan. One that will riff on Twilight and yet, be all uniquely it’s own.
Here’s to the One who awaits our return, with our whole heart, with our whole mind and offers us the opportunity to become more of the “i” and less of the “self-centered”. (Thanks Archbishop Sheen for teaching the difference.)
God bless,
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 