In celebration of a new blog layout, I'm posting some thoughts.
My life is like a patchwork quilt. Each piece represents something meaningful and unique. Separately, the scraps of a quilt are just that - scraps. Pieces of discarded fabric that didn't fit into the original dress design and were thrown to the side, unloved and unwanted. But sewn together with love, thoughtfully pieced together, those scraps create something beautiful and priceless.
There are parts of my life that if looked at separately, they would be considered insignificant and irrelevant. No one would understand them and think they held no meaning. But when put together, pieced together with love, they create me. And I think that's pretty stinkin' awesome.
Random Piece #219: A hike I took one year ago, to Picken's Nose, NC.
It was one year ago this weekend that my parents and I came up to Franklin, NC to visit some lifelong friends. I came up as a result of a last minute decision and it was the best last minute decision I've made in a long time. We relaxed in the land of "no cell reception" and got away from the distractions of our hectic, grief-filled lives. We went for a hike. I LOVE to hike and it was just what I needed to clear my head and get my heart in order. The air is much clearer up here, crisper and cleaner. It has therapeutic powers over me. When we reached the top of the mountain, a decision I was wrestling with became a no-brainer. I felt sure about something in my life for the first time in months. And as if I needed reassurance, there was a gentle misty rain that greeted us at the top. To most people, rain at the top of the mountain is discouraging. But for me, in that moment, I was comforted by my Holy God who knew exactly what I needed.
As I sit and type this, I'm sitting on a quilt that my Grandma Edfeldt made for Jacob. Grandma made quilts for all her grandkids. As I gaze upon the pieces that make "Jacob's Ladder" - her title for it - I think about the pieces of Jacob's life that make up his patchwork quilt. Each one of those pieces hold meaning for me, good or bad, big or small. They made up his life - and that's pretty stinkin' awesome.
"the best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amist the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be." - Anne Frank
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