The Quilt Maker

Mel is in Spain right now. This weekend, her and the team she is with had a conference for a group of unchurched women. The conference was based around quilting. Mel led one of the conference sessions, so I wanted to share the presentation that she did. 

What is the purpose of a quilt? For some it may be simply decoration - something pretty to look at. For others, quilting is a hobby that brings joy to them. But the quilt itself was designed with a purpose.

I like to think that the very first quilt was made of leftover scraps of fabric from other projects or even clothes that had reached their useful end. The fabrics were not chosen because they were pretty, or the colors coordinated, but instead they were chosen because they were available. The quilter arranged them so that they fit together and could be sewn without wasting any piece. There was also a fabric was chosen for the back portion of the quilt. The part of the quilt that I want talk to you about now is the batting, the stuffing, the filler of the quilt. The batting of the quilt is what really gives it purpose. If it were not for this important part of the quilt, it would simply be limp scraps of fabric sewn together. The quilt would have no substance. It would serve no purpose. The quilt may look pretty, but without the batting it would not protect anyone from harsh winds or cold winter air.

Now, we can’t fill the quilt with just anything. It has to be the proper material. We can’t just toss some rocks or glass in there and call it finished. That would do more harm than good. It would bruise and cut whoever tried to hold it. We can’t fill the quilt with rose petals, those are too soft. They will quickly break down and lose
their form in the quilt.

Just as a quilt must be filled with the right materials to serve its purpose, we must be filled with the proper things to serve our purpose.

As I look back on my life, I can see where God has filled my life with experiences that have prepared me for the purpose He has for me. The patchwork of experiences from my life may look different from everyone else, but the material that He fills me with is the same material He fills everyone else with. My patchwork is filled with happiness, sadness, good choices, bad choices, times of clarity and times of confusion. My patchwork is
different from yours, but what fills the void in my life is the same thing that can fill the void in your life. See, just as the patchwork and the backing of a quilt are next to useless without the batting; so are the experiences of our lives if they are not accompanied by the God who is our quilter.

Now, we could choose to fill our lives with many things. Good things, or bad things. There could be things that make our lives look good from the outside, or things that are good for a while but eventually turn bad. The bad things that we could fill our lives with are usually easy to spot. Addictions, unhealthy relationships, the list could go on and on. Some people fill their lives with things that seem good and healthy at first but eventually turn bad. Think about people who work to support their families but eventually become so consumed with the career that they abandon their families for their jobs. Sometimes people even fill their lives with things that look good, but they are doing them for the wrong reason. They are filling their lives with good deeds but they do them simply to make themselves look good. These are not the kind of things we want to fill our lives with.

I was always a "good" person. I was good in school. I listened to my parents. I never got in trouble. When my friends got in trouble at school, I was the one there shaking my head and thinking, "I told you so!" At that time, I had never thought that a prayer I said when I was seven could have such an awesome effect on my life as it does now. Now I know that because Jesus has given me life, he has given that life purpose. I had not grasped the idea that my purpose was not found in myself and what i did. I had to learn that my purpose was found in what God had for me to do. When I was 15 years old,  this realization came to me. I was standing in the school parking lot with a friend and it was then that I shared what I believed for the first time. I shared my love for Christ and what he had done for me. My words then were not just for the benefit of my friend but God was speaking to me also.

Since then, God has lead me to discover His purpose for my life. I no longer fill my time with "good things" but I fill my life with HIS "goodness." I have learned that he is my goodness. He is my purpose. He is the batting of my life.

Just as a quilt must be filled with good material by the quilt maker, our lives must be filled with goodness by the life giver. These things will sustain our lives so that we may fulfill the purpose God has for us.

Pray for Mel as she finishes up her time on this short term trip and travels home. Our first email newsletter will be coming out soon, so if you would like to receive that, you can subscribe using the form on the Jeremy and Mel page. Thank you for your continued support!