September 28, 2010

Number 39

VIEWPOINT

My mother recently finished a quilt!  She made it out of clothing that had once been important outfits for my father and her.  She included some of the favorite neckties, military insignia and university symbols.  She even transferred a couple of special photographs to material and fashioned them into the pattern. 

I have been fascinated with the process.  This skill is quickly becoming extinct in a world where not many people are willing to put the time and effort into creating beautifully hand-made quilts.  If you think about it, many of the ideas involved in quilting can be applied to God's work with mankind.

Quilting takes a long time. Grandma Betty (as Logan calls her) had previously made other quilts, so she had experience and knew the nature of the investment.  In this case, she began early in the year 2009 and finished last month.  God has invested a great deal of time in his creation.  The best example of this is God's Word. God has spent over 3,500 years recording and protecting His Word for us.  He values us as His creation.  He would even come to this earth to spend over thirty years living as one of us to allow us the opportunity to dwell with Him for eternity. God has invested His time in us.  We owe Him the same in return.

Quilting has a high cost. Grandma Betty used material that she had available.  But they were expensive items in their day.She did have to buy the lining, however.  That doesn't take into consideration the time and labor required to complete a quilt.

The salvation God is offering to a lost world did not come without a cost.  “Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent” (Luke 23:47).  Our salvation cost an innocent man His life.  A man that had no sin became the sin offering so that we might receive an opportunity to be saved (2 Corinthians 5:21).  God was willing to sacrifice for us.  We should be willing to sacrifice for Him.

Quilting allows an artist to create something beautiful.  My mother might not call herself an artist; however, anyone viewing her work knows they are viewing art.  Not only is one looking at art, they are looking at fully functional art.  Quilts serve a purpose. God described His people as “clay in the potter's hand” (Jeremiah 18:6).  When we allow God to mold our lives, He turns us into something beautiful.  He can turn a life of despair into a life of hope.  The powerful word of God can shape our ineffectiveness into usefulness in service to Him.

We are the Lord’s greatest masterpiece; the crowning jewel of His creation.  That fact is emphasized by the words of Ephesians 2:10, “We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

I counted myself fortunate to have followed my mother’s quilting work.  Likewise we’re all fortunate to be the recipients of the gracious mercies of the Almighty. 

I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile, and a positive word!                                                          RA

Our Adversary majors in three things:  noise, hurry and crowds.

If he can keep us engaged in “muchness” and “manyness,” he will rest satisfied.

— Richard J. Foster