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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Patience and Prayer

This morning I woke up with this prayer in my head:

Oh my Heavenly Father, I come in humble prayer.
Not to beg for miracles, just strength to not despair.
If I fail to see your wisdom, give me faith to never doubt it.
Help me bear the cross you send, and not complain about it.



I memorized this when I was 12 or 13 years old from my favorite Helen Steiner Rice book and I used to repeat it over and over to myself during my childhood struggles.

It still pops into my head at odd times. Like when I'm unconscious. And often when I'm conscious too.

Lately I've been thinking of it as I look around and notice all the suffering and struggling going on around us.

Church was beautiful on Sunday. Even though I was starving to death I was deeply touched by all the testimonies (including my husband's (YAY!))

Our 2nd counselor, Bro K's, mother passed away a few weeks ago. She had cancer for 10years and he and his family have been taking care of her through all of her health struggles. Bro K bore his testimony and told us that one of the last things his mother said to him was "Thank you for being patient with me."

He said he looked right back at her and said, "Thank you for being patient with me." He spoke about his newborn daughter who cries every night and he spoke of how our children can often be a source of irritation and exhaustion, and how they require large amounts of patience.

I thought of how patience can be a form of healing.

I thought of Pat! She has been trying to care for her son who had hip surgery a year ago. It's been a long, arduous, complicated, expensive trial for both of them with no end in sight, which has required a lot of patient. Ah, the patience of Pat!

I thought of our Elder's Chorum president and his wife. A young, vivacious man with two toddlers--always the first person to help anyone in need. Two weeks ago he was stricken with a really rare virus that I can't spell and don't want to look up, which left him temporarily paralyzed. He's been in the hospital getting dialysis. He's been at home flat on his back, unable to control his body, his life, crazy afraid it won't go away, or worse yet, that he will stop breathing and die.

My husband and I walked over and spent some time with him on Sunday night. We were deeply moved by his emotional stories of loneliness and fear. I realize that his emotional suffering has been as great as his physical suffering. Which is often the case for all who suffer.

The Magic Quilt can help with the emotional suffering, if not the physical.

We've got to get this Magic Quilt done, peeps!

So I dug through all my wicker baskets and guess what I found? Tons of fabric. Magic fabric. I found all my old curtains that I made when was cute and crafty and my kids were little. My mom and I seriously made curtains for every room in the house. And I found all the left over fabric from the days when I used to make scrapbooks and cover them. And I found some pillow covers my sister made for me out of her huband's old shirts.


Just think of all the magic this fabric holds. My curtains are infused with compassion (They saw my whole mid-life crisis.) My scrapbooks hold my story. And those pillows offered rest to our weary heads for almost 10 years

So I spent the weekend washing them with LoW's magic laundry detergent recipe. Then I dried them with Downey. Then I ironed them with love sweet love.

And then I sprinked pixie dust on them and did a rain dance around them and fed them chocolate kisses so they'd be 100% enchanted.

I will now send them out into the world with a wink and a nod, (and my favorite Helen Steiner Rice prayer.)


Here's a sampling of the fabric:
















And that's not even all of it, but I got bored with uploading photos!


May the force be with the Magic Quilt!


Nanoo Nanoo


And here's a preview of T (as in Tonya)'s upcoming post for TheMagic Quilt

7 comments:

springrose said...

Since reading this post I am now glad and not ashamed of not mailing my package of fabric yet. I think I will go thru my stash and add a whole lotta fabric from leftovers from outfits I have made for my girls! I love fabric, so I have several totes, and I just can't throw it away if there is a good use for it! What better use than the Magic Quilt!! So I will be collecting my fabric and hopefully mailing it in the next week!!

TisforTonya said...

oooh, As chairperson of the SWDWTMFW club I think I could come up with a few spare pieces to send... at least... now I just need to e-mail Kritta and get my craft room back (stupid construction!)

(Ummm... your word verifier is REALLY messing with my compulsive shopping self - it says "wherstor"

Emily said...

I appreciate your post- a good way to tell me get some fabric in the mail toot sweet! I'm doing this THIS WEEK. I am.

Thanks for the kick in the butt.

Nutty Hamster Chick said...

Thanks Crash. That was a beautiful post. I don't feel patient at all with all the mumuring and whining I alway do. And how lame am I that I have not sent something it, seeing as how it is for my own mother. Sheesh.
I have thought about it, but have wanted just the right thing. But maybe I better give up on that and send something.

Sandi said...

This is my fav quilt entry yet! I wish I had ever been crafty in my life so that I could gather up all my old magic fabric and send it on it's way to Kritta. I want everyone to hurry up and send fabric/stories cause I am dying to see this amazing quilt and feel it's magic!

Anonymous said...

Great minds think alike! I have started blog simlar to yours. The idea is the same. Although I have post a few recent projects that I have made. The maid idea is there. Mine is "Love Blankets". I have traveled over from Kritta's blog. She has become a new friend of mine.

you can see mine www.loveblankets.blogspot.com

Glad to see that your trying to reach out to give comfort to others. That is what I am doing with mine.

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