May 27, 2013

Unfinished Object or Work in Progress?

Devotion for the Week...

How many UFOs (unfinished objects) do you have tucked away for someday, when you have more time or skill for them? I don't have many, but I do have these two wallhangings I started more than 5 years ago.

Blast Off! Designed by Debby Kratovil
Most blocks are finished, the last one is partially done and the backing fabric is still in my stash, uncut. I started this for Aiden and Zachary, but they're now much too old for the bug fabric I chose back then. One of these days I need to get back to work on this and get it put together for someone else's young child.

I nicknamed my Noah's Ark quilt "my 6 year quilt."
Noah's Ark, designed by Margaret Rolfe


I started it while pregnant with Aiden and I may have even finished the top before he arrived. The quilting took a lot longer. At the time I quilted everything by hand. I enjoy the hand work (which is why I love my hexies) and I love the look of hand quilting, but it takes a lot of time. In this case, years and years of time.

Of course, the quilt spent most of that time sitting in a bag in a closet while I worked on other, smaller projects that I could finish quickly. The Noah's Ark quilt measures 42" x 53" so even when I spent two or three evenings quilting, it was hard to see my progress. I'd go through spurts, working on it a lot for a few weeks, then putting it aside for months while doing other things. Eventually the quilt got finished, but only after I made a promise to myself to get it done by a certain date. Since then I've had many compliments on my 6 year quilt, certainly more than I could have received if I let it languish as a UFO in the closet.

I made progress on the quilt only when I changed it from a UFO in the closet to a WIP (work-in-progress), one that I was actively working on. As Christians, we are all God's WIPs. Paul told the Philippians he was confident "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6).

There are many areas where God is working on me. I have no problem admitting I'm not perfect, but that doesn't mean I always want to change. The ultimate goal for my life is for my character to match that of Jesus. That is more than a 6 year project! Thankfully, God doesn't get discouraged and put me in a closet while He works on other people.

I don't always like that nagging feeling of guilt when I've said or done something wrong. I don't like changing my attitudes or actions, but doing so will make me more like Jesus. Ignoring those promptings moves me out of the WIP category and into that of UFO, not because God has set me aside for someone else, but because I'm not working with Him, so no progress can be made.

How about you? Are you submitting to the Lord's molding of your character, allowing Him to show you what needs changing? It isn't easy, but following the will of God brings us closer to the 'finished product' that God has in mind when He looks at us. Though we won't be finished until 'the day of Christ Jesus,' I'd rather be a WIP, not a UFO.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks... I needed that!

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  2. This is a really helpful devotion and one all we quilters can relate to Leanne. I like the thought that we are God's Works in Progress!

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