The Quilt

A little over a year ago, a dear friend gifted me a beautiful, handmade quilt. She has made dozens, if not hundreds, of quilts in her lifetime. Each time she prays over the person who will be receiving the quilt she is working on, even if she doesn't know the recipient at the moment.

The quilt itself is remarkable, with beautiful patterns and beautiful blue, yellow, pink, and purple shades. But what has been even more impactful to me than the quilt itself are the words Ms. Betty shared with me the day she gave it to me. She said, "When you look at the details of the quilt, I want it to be a reminder that the small things in life add up to something beautiful. Remember how the small steps in your work are creating something much bigger and more beautiful than what you may realize."

. . . small things in life add up to something beautiful

With these past two years looking drastically different than any of us could have ever anticipated, I think this reminder that, even though it is such a strange time, each day that we strive to give glory to God, is part of a much bigger, much more beautiful narrative than we can see at the moment.

Some days this past year have felt like I'm stuck on a treadmill, moving but not actually going anywhere. As someone in full-time ministry, not being able to physically be around people for months on end made me wonder if anything I was doing each day was making a difference in the Kingdom. I felt limited in the ways I could serve, and what I could do felt insignificant.

But then, I remembered the quilt from Ms. Betty and what she said.

Once I started asking, "how is God working through me right now?" and praying for the Lord to open my eyes to the opportunities around me, my entire perspective began to change. Feelings of anxiety and discouragement were replaced with peace and acceptance. I began to see that those "small" steps, such as spending time in prayer, having a quick conversation with the cashier at the grocery store, or calling up a friend, were meaningful and could very well be part of a greater story than I realize. These are much needed moments of light in the world.

I began to see that those "small" steps . . . were meaningful and could very well be part of a greater story than I realize.

A few years ago, I learned that faith is one of my strongest spiritual gifts. In the assessment I used, they define the gift of faith as: "the supernatural ability to recognize how God has provided in the past and trusting He will continue to in the future." After my perspective shifted, I saw how God was using that time to build my trust in Him and deepen our relationship. I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. God was able to show me where His spirit was moving already. I just had to keep my eyes open for the opportunity. Once I stopped and took time to think of the many ways God has so beautifully provided for me in the past, I knew I could trust Him to lead the way in whatever may be next.

I just had to keep my eyes open for the opportunity.

As we go about each day in 2022, may we strive to bring glory to God in whatever we do (1 Corinthians 10:31) and each step in our work as it might just be a part of a narrative greater than we realize.

Love,

Bethany