2.17.2012

perspective {life is like a quilt}

I was reading a blog today written by a mother, Natalie, who has endured one of life's most wrenched heartbreaks, the loss of a child. As I was reading her beautiful testimony of overcoming tragedy with triumph through the word of God, I came across one of the most beautiful analogies of how we can look at life.

Natalie was sitting with her friend and the friend told the following story:

             My dad once said that this life is like a quilt.When a child sits on the floor watching their
             mother stitch  a quilt, all they can see from their view on the ground is random strings,
             knots and various threads. It looks messy and purposeless. But when the child sits on
             their mother's lap and views the quilt from the mothers perspective, above it has a
             beautiful pattern. Every color, every stitch, every string has a place and is so pretty when
             woven together.
             Just like us here on earth, all we see are the strings and knots, but in heaven when we see
             from God's perspective, then we will see the pattern of His will and understand His purpose.
             Until then we have to trust the one weaving our lives and rest assured in the end, the Lord is
             making something more beautiful than we could have ever imagined.

Amazing, huh?

Do you ever feel like you come across certain messages at just the right time? It's amazing how God can make sure you hear the words your heart so desperately desires at the very moment you need confirmation that everything will be OK. I've had an emotional week and have been struggling with a lot of personal issues in my own life. I've been searching for so many answers. Answers I'll probably never be able to find. Even though I  want this time in my life to make perfect sense, reading this today gave me the understanding that I don't really need those answers. My plan for life isn't God's plan. All the things I have mapped out in my little head aren't all going to play out the way I think they should. Those plans are going to change, challenges are going to come, and the little map in my head will be thrown out the window. I'm OK with this, sometimes. I do struggle with not knowing all the answers. I want the path to be perfect and I want the easiest path. That's a lot to ask for though.

I'm starting to realize there is a lot of beauty through pain. If everything always went our way, we would never know true joy. The suffering of life is what I believe defines our character. Martin Luther King once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." So true!

The challenges in my life have made me who I am today. I feel I'm a better person for overcoming the obstacles life has thrown to me. I can't change the past and I can't predict the future, but I can take life one day at a time and learn to be a better person than I was yesterday. 


Right now, I don't understand the "quilt" pattern. All of the "strings and knots" of life don't seem to all add up, but one day it will. One day it will and I long for that day.

To read more about Natalie's story visit: http://mymaddiegrace.blogspot.com

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