An Advent Reflection
The other day I read something really beautiful written by Dr. Tom Neal on Word on Fire: Show me the Father. By the time I arrived at the end of the piece the tears were sliding down my face. It is in part because of my experience earlier this year, having that moment when the healing began in a way that is still continuing.
Over the last couple of weeks there is another shift happening. I got a big reminder today that doing hard things, and then taking time to journal in some way is something that calms my mind and heart. I thought a few weeks ago that I needed to change how I journal becoming something “more” whatever that means, or “deeper” whatever that means. For the woman who will one day burn all her journals I realized this need to think deep scholarly thoughts in my journals is just ridiculous. My journals have been a sanctuary, a place to pour out the intensity of emotion that sometimes overwhelms. While I accept that this desire for more and deeper are genuine promptings from the Holy Spirit I think, no I’m sure, the way to do this is to keep journaling the way I do and see where the Spirit leads me in the words and in the writing. It’s a good day to begin again with a deep sense of love. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus.
It’s also the time to begin a new job, which is an answer to prayer and the longing of my heart. One thing I learned I’m pretty good at while working in quilt shops is helping quilters buy fabric. So my new job as a fabric rep to NY and NJ will use many those skills. With this I’m learning a new style of “journaling” to keep myself organized and track the shops. Today was a bit of a so sitting down, and preparing this journal in a bit more detail. I’m grateful to Debby Brown for sharing her experience with this system for tracking time. What I love most is that each journal can be a bit different. For this one it’s lime green, 8.5 x 5.5 which is a great size. I’ve been working on a journal cover to keep all of this together.
Over the last few days I’ve been able to do some editing on a project. Working on the editing is refreshing. In a way I never expected, incorporating more good stuff into the body of the work rather than seemingly tangential side notes. There is more writing and more quilting to happen on this project. Oh hang on friends this one is going to be a while.
While thinking about each one of these bits and pieces, little bits of the quilt of my life. Faith weaving in and out of these bits like so many quilting stitches creating depth and beauty. From the deep experience of God’s love, to exercising the gifts he’s given, the gifts of words, quilt making, work, journaling, and Himself. As we get ready to celebrate His coming to us from some obscure town, coming to us in the story telling drawing us into and clarifying our relationships with our self and others. We celebrate hope and faith. We celebrate a promise already fulfilled, while we wait in home for the completion of that promise.
Dear Quilters, as we hurtle toward Christmas, and the beginning of a new calendar year please take a moment to pause and simply enjoy the moment that you get to live in, the work that you get to do in your quilt making and whatever else comes to mind. Thank God for the moments that are difficult.
Come Lord Jesus!
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 