On and off over the last couple of weeks I’ve been waking up with a song in my head. Sometimes it’s the melody only, like a delightful ear worm, and others it’s words and music. I’d missed this.
This mornings Lead me to the Cross by Hillsong seems so appropriate as Lent begins Wednesday Feb 17. And like Oceans it is a prayer of saying, “Yes” to God’s will even when we don’t understand where we’re going. And The Litany of Humility gets me at the core in a different way. That the path will include some painful experiences that must be lived through rather than avoided. I don’t know about you but there are times when I’m good at avoiding doing the things I need to do. At the beginning of Lent last year Big things happened like my Sweetie moving to TX to begin his new work, the shut down of everything due to this widespread virus. Being by myself for six weeks was nearly unbearable, lonely beyond I’ve ever shared. It was Lent, it was a journey to the cross, a Way of Sorrow.
Over the years Lent is one of my favorite seasons of the year. It’s a time of examination, a Faith-led Spiritual inventory, taking stock of our relationship with God, adjusting directions, listening for course corrections, heading with Jesus into the desert for Forty Days, going to the seeming barren place where there is nothing left but God and our very self he created us to be.
Here in 2021 the path to Lent is incredibly different complete with it’s own joys and sorrows. We’ll soon celebrate my Sweetie’s one year anniversary with this work. I can not adequately express the great joy in this. My work looks very different, it’s changing and I’m trying to move with the changes rather than fight them if that makes sense. And there’s a nudge in a direction I’ve not expected. The path to this nudge isn’t clear.
Over the last week or so I’ve been practicing avoidance of doing some things that need doing, ones that I don’t particularly enjoy doing. The surface of my desk is full right now however it’s the most organized it’s been in weeks. There is clear evidence of my love for colorful, fine point pens, there *might* be an overabundance of them. When we’re back to in person classes my students will enjoy them. Well some of them. There’s one that I really love and probably, like my fountain pens, won’t share.
A friend and I were talking about my quilting and how I’ve not been doing a whole lot recently, part of this has to do with the move, part with other things going on – getting ready for classes. So that’s part of it. I have ideas, loads of them, even written a few down. I was describing one and she asked a couple of astute questions which helped clarify where I want to keep things simple and where I want to go to town. Perhaps now it’s time to go sit with a color wheel and my thread stash and pick thread combinations, and decide what thread will define the “blocks” and get started stitching. The hard part will be marking this thing, it’s going to be at least 110” square as our bed is taller and we’re fighting for covers. Well not quite fighting I’m guessing I don’t really mind that the quilt is more on someone else’s side of the bed.
In this on-going conversation there is a realization that I need to go through my “must-do” projects, get them on a list, and get a move on. For one of the projects I purchased background/border fabric that will do what I want it to do. That’s a significant start on this one and I can knock it out fairly quickly with a glue stick. I also picked up a new to me batting that has the drape and feel I want for a whole bunch of projects.
As for the going through the hard stuff avoidance techniques, well, there are a couple of things there that I’m going to start working on before Lent begins, starting with some form of Lectio Divina in the mornings. I kept handwritten prayer journals that were mostly shredded as I prepared to move here. I keep picking up journals that I enjoy writing in so it’s time. Then there’s working with my calendar in an effort to better honor God with my time.
Fr. Mike Schmitz is working through the Bible in a Year with Ascension Press.
Hallie Lord’s Falling Home has joined the reading list.
I’m asking for prayers for a couple of friends who are in great need at this moment.
God bless,
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 