An Open Door

I had a unique speaking opportunity back in early April. I usually speak and teach for quilting groups ~ and I love it! Sometimes I even have the chance to share some of my antique quilts with historical groups. And there have been just a few times where I’ve been asked to share my quilts as well as my faith journey, and how God has worked through both.

Every Spring my church has a delightful ladies retreat with other churches in our fellowship in Wisconsin. We all meet up at a conference center on Green Lake. It’s an area filled with so much natural beauty.

This is one of my favorite photos from a previous Ladies Retreat. My friend Margaret and I enjoyed this delightful statue in front of the main hall.

Over 600 women (and a few men who help out) arrive for fellowship, learning, food, and fun all focused on Christ.

There is usually a main speaker, and a number of others who do smaller break out sessions. Miriam and Rebecca are a mother/daughter team who shared the main speaker spot together this year. They were a wonderful encouragement to me in many ways.

As were all of my friends from church who were able to attend.

This year’s theme was “The Work of His Hands”, and I was invited to be one of the “break out speakers”. What a perfect theme for a Christian quilter!

It was such a blessing to have this opportunity. I began my talk by sharing how I learned to sew as a child, and then moved into how I got “roped” into quilting by my sister-in-law. I know many of you have heard this story.

But then I shared how Jesus saved me during the lowest point in my life, and how he used my new faith and quilting to get me through some very difficult times. There came a point in this journey when I realized I wanted to make quilts to honor Him, and the stories of some of those quilts were the conclusion to my talk; like “Into the Light ~ a Journey of Faith”,

And “God is Light and in Him is No Darkness at All”.

I was overwhelmed by how many dear women came up after the talk to tell me that my story was an encouragement to them, as well as the many who said they loved learning things about quilting they never knew. A dear friend actually asked me “what on earth is a feed dog”? 🤣

One of the wonderful things that came of this was that Miriam (our main speaker), whom I’ve known casually for years, asked me if I would bring some of my quilts up for her closing talk and share them with everyone, since many of the attendees weren’t in my session. A week later she invited me for lunch and was so helpful in sharing things I would need to know if I begin speaking to Christian women’s groups. She then invited me to speak to a group of over 40 young women she mentors at Maranatha Baptist University. What joy!

I find it humbling that God can use the difficult parts in our lives to be a help to others who are struggling. I also am amazed to realize how God gives us talents we can use for His glory in ways we previously couldn’t have imagined. And now I’ve been asked to speak and share my faith/quilt journey with women at some of the churches represented at the conference. God has opened a new door of opportunity! I’m praying He will use it for His glory ~ and I’m excited that I can share my passion for quilting with women who aren’t knowledgeable about it, or addicted to it ~ YET!