Family

Devotion for the Week...

When I made heart blocks to send to Christchurch, New Zealand following the shooting there, the man at the post office remarked "You quilters are just like one big family." Hearing that made my day! It's wonderful to be a part of this wonderful, world wide community that is so willing to jump in and do what it can to help others. We've seen it time and time again, when illness strikes, after violence and after natural disasters, when quilters rally together and make quilts to show our love and support to those who are hurting, even if those people are on the other side of the world.

And when it was quilters who lost everything, as was the case during the Camp Fire in California in 2018, quilters rushed to help get them back to sewing by donating fabric, notions and even basic sewing machines. Sure, those things weren't going to replace the homes they lost, but giving them a way to start sewing again was giving them a way to feel normal again. It was a way to give them back the hobby they likely used for self care and 'me time' during a time they needed it most.

Of course, we quilters like to celebrate with people, too! Quilts are made for new babies, weddings, graduations, birthdays, Christmas and any other occasion we can think of to give a handmade gift. It feels good to share in someone's joy by giving them something useful and beautiful that was made by our own hands. It's a tangible expression of our love and our joy for them.

The Bible tells us that Christians are to "Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). Like family, we should be sharing life with those around us in such a way that we feel their pain and their joy. We should be jumping in with both feet, ready to assist or celebrate with them as the moment requires. Like quilters wrapping quilts around people who are hurting, Christians should be there with open arms.

Many of us do this naturally, but sometimes we find ourselves holding back, or at least I do. Do I know that person well enough to offer to bring them a meal? Would they even like something I cooked for them? Do I have time for it? That's a big one, to be honest. But God doesn't want us to hold back. He wants us reaching out, extending His love to everyone around us, especially in their times of need.

Like quilters, Christians are one big, world wide family. We can celebrate and mourn with our fellow believers. More than that, though, we can also celebrate and mourn with non believers as a way of showing them our love and support, which in turn can show them the love God has for them.