Q is for Quilt by Lorilee Guenter

 

I have a patchwork quilt made by my grandma. Squares of various blues, pieces leftover from other projects or from old clothes cut down, were stitched together into something new. I've seen art quilts, the pieces carefully chosen to create a beautiful image. Lately, I've found myself fascinated by the "crazy quilt." These quilts use small scraps of varying sizes and shapes stitched together. Fragments. These sometimes tiny pieces are often stitched by hand into a larger, interesting piece.

Like quilts, some writing is functional. Other writing offers vivid images that jump off the page. Our writing takes scraps and pieces of life and stitches them together. I have a file of snippets that I cut from other writing. I have quotes, overheard dialogue, interesting words with their definitions collected in random files. Each of these scraps has the potential to become the start of a new piece of writing. Some pieces will remain in the "basket of remnants." I take these out, ponder them, and put them back, until I find the right project for them. Other pieces find a home easily.

A quilter stitches fabric together with thread. A writer stitches ideas together with words. God stitches our lives together in community. Each one of us is placed with care. Unlike fabric, or words, we sometimes try to go our own way. We complain that we are in the basket of remnants. God told His prophets that, no matter how far His people strayed, He would keep a remnant who continued to worship. I want to be part of the masterpiece God is creating. My stubbornness, gets in the way. I am learning slowly that no matter where I am, whether waiting for His timing as part of the remnant, or being pieced together with others, I am not alone. I am a valuable part of His creation.

Each day I pick up my pen, I stitch together an offering of words. I hope and pray the pieces of my writing, my observations, and my life, bring glory to God, our creator and Lord.