Block #4 of the Road Trip Quilt - Adventure Quilt QAL from Kate Colleran and Tammy Silvers - is representative of the Continental Divide.
I am a Colorado native I have known of this landmark for most of my life. I had the opportunity to travel the passes that traverse the great divide as well as ski some of the peaks that are part of the divide numerous times. Beautiful views, but a treacherous trip getting to them.
But the space between the peaks are also a challenge... a valley, or a canyon... a chasm. Figuring out how to get to the other side can prove to be a a difficult task. Down through the valley can be an exhausting and daunting time... Psalm 23 covers that...
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
It was 20 years ago that I had a dream while participating in a weekend of Spiritual growth.
I grew up attending church and participating in youth group and as a young mother became involved in the Women's Fellowship group and Bible studies. I knew that God loved me... it's the core of the lessons taught in Sunday School and I had heard it all my life. I knew of God... But the question was "did I know God?" He knows the number of hairs on my head... but do I know Him?
In my dream I was running because something was after me... it was a giant boulder - call to mind the boulders that Wily E Coyote ended up under when his plot to catch The Roadrunner failed.
I came to the edge of a canyon... short of breath and no where to go... a giant rolling rock approaching. I call out for help. I hear "jump". It wasn't shouted, rather simply spoken to me, calmly, gently... "jump".
I hesitated but the giant rock was getting ever so close. Faced with the choice to jump or be run over, I finally take the step off of the edge... and I begin to fall - with a sassy attitude of "see! I am going to..." and then a giant, gentle hand comes up under me just as I am seeing the bottom of the chasm. And I feel as light as a feather.
My faith in God saved me in that dream... as it has many times since then. Not necessarily life and death situations, but the comfort of trusting God and leaving worry behind had much the same effect...
I have learned that to better appreciate the mountain top views you have to spend a little time in the valley. After all, it is in the valley that most of the growth occurs.
The lessons I have learned by my time spent in valleys have been great. Cast your cares... Stand in the truth of the Lord and He will fight for you... He has great plans...
Life is a journey. Take time to enjoy the journey... not just the destination!
If you could go back in time to give your younger self some advice, what would you tell yourself?
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Keep Calm and Quilt On,
Melva
Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series
Linking with:
BOMs Away at What A Hoot Quilts
Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag
Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
WIP Wednesday at Esther's Quilt Blog
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
WIP Wednesday at Esther's Quilt Blog
Thanks for sharing that, so encouraging.. and I love the blocks too :) xx
ReplyDeleteI would tell my younger self to worry less and enjoy the moment. I too had a dream once that I was sitting at Jesus' feet with a group of people. He was sitting in a chair just a step higher than we were. It gave me such a sense of calm. I recall it often when I'm worried about something.
ReplyDeleteI have been to the Continental Divide recently, so this block is meaningful to me.
ReplyDeleteI would tell myself to focus more on my husband and less on my kids because, after all, in the end it is just him and I. The kids come visit but it is really about us as a couple. He deserves it.
Hi, Melva! We've lived in Colorado for a few years now. I need to make some more day trips to catch some other passes across the Divide. I've only visited Independence Pass so far.
ReplyDeleteThat's an easy question! If I could go back in time to 2001 when I was in the local quilt shop picking out fabrics for my very first quilt, I would tell myself to TOTALLY IGNORE the well-intentioned advice of the quilt shop sales ladies, who discouraged me from buying the beautiful batiks that I wanted because they were "too expensive" for a beginner's first quilt. They talked me into ugly sale fabric, repro Civil War stuff that I didn't like AT ALL. I've enjoyed quilting so much more when I select the colors and patterns that make my heart sing!
ReplyDeleteGreat inspirational story, lovely block! Thanks so much for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post and at first glance I thought your block was a digital photo. Not a digital photo of an actual block. The fabrics are perfect.
ReplyDelete