Crazy Quilt Comfort

27 Feb 2010 5 Comments

by Rest Ministries in Devotionals2 Tags: Alice, chronic, comfort, depression, Ervin, fatigue, illness, Ministries, pain, rest, sharing

“I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one, as We are one: I in them, and You in Me.” John 17:22

Are any of you old enough to remember your Mother making quilts (or crazy quilts as we called them)? Well, I am, and I am so thankful to have some of the quilts my Mom made. They bring back so many memories. Some good, some not so good. Being from a family of nine children, we went through a lot of clothes. But, my Mom never wasted anything.

As I look at these quilts now, I see a piece of a dress or skirt I wore years ago, or a piece of a blouse, or maybe pajamas that belonged to my sisters. Pieces of Mom’s aprons bring back so many memories. Pieces of the boys’ flannel and cotton shirts they outgrew or became too worn to wear anymore. I could go on and on as to where the pieces came from.

What do quilts have to do with chronic illness? Well, I look at how each piece represents a different part of my life, or maybe my body. Right now I feel bits of my life are being used by God to share with you – both the good parts and the bad. And, in return, I am blessed and helped when you share what is going on in your lives. Together, we are fashioning a beautiful “quilt” of sorts by sharing the devotionals God gives us. Bits and pieces of our lives that remind us that He will never stop using us to further His Kingdom, if we are willing vessels.

I know you have heard the expression that “God never wastes our pain.” I can see that so well as I read each devotional you all share. God has chosen “pieces” of our pain, depression, fatigue, and so on, and is fashioning a “crazy quilt of comfort,“ of sorts, as we help each other get through the difficult, and sometimes almost impossible days of chronic illness.

The mismatched “pieces” of our lives make no sense lying there in “God’s sewing basket.” But when sewn together by His mighty hand, I can almost see the beautiful finished product we are becoming. I feel so blessed to be a piece of “God’s crazy quilt of comfort” with all of you.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for seeing fit to use even the pieces of my life that I would like to throw away.

About the Author:
Alice Ervin lives in Dayton, Ohio. She is ever so thankful for the ways she and her husband are still able to be used to further the Kingdom of God, in spite of living with several chronic illnesses which seem to multiply almost daily.

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