Working. Thinking. Waiting. Praying.

Working. and Thinking.

This is my "Cinnamon and Toast" quilt, made of post-Civil War reproduction fabrics. I've been working on this one for two or three years. I hand-stitched the squares, and machine-stitched the rows of squares together. Hand-stitching works well when you are Waiting.
Waiting at the dentist's or at ballet. While fellowshipping before Ladies' Bible Study on Wednesdays. I'm making a hand-stitched quilt as a legacy for each of my daughters and daughters-in-law. This one will be Lily's, but not yet. Alvin Fernald is looking forward to its being a "couch quilt."

I'm more than halfway done with the quilting, trying to do a square or two everyday. But if I don't get to it, it's okay. I've already spent two or three years waiting!

Others of us are waiting, as well. There is talk of getting rid of one of the managers where Charming works. How easy it is to "forget" that the Lord is our provider, *not* the employer. How easy it is to get used to that regular paycheck.

So many in the same boat. Unemployed or underemployed. We live in an area with higher unemployment than other places, due to the fact that factories here supply auto parts to manufacturers. One county in the area has 17% unemployment. Most of the people there work in RV plants.

A little glimpse of how the finished quilt will look:

Thinking. And trusting in the Only One worthy of my trust. And Hoping. Is it okay to hope we don't have to go through unemployment?

Like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, I want to say to God, "would it spoil some Vast, Eternal Plan," if You don't let this economic situation touch us?

Oh, well. I've lived long enough to know that this wouldn't even be CLOSE to the end of life on this planet. I have nothing to complain about. When we were very young-married, Charming was out of work for six months, but we never went without a meal. We had pb&j for three meals a day for a week (and the last two days, we just had the "j"), but we have Never Been Hungry.

Psalm 37:25 "I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed begging for bread."

I found out yesterday that a homeschooling friend's home burned to the ground. So I'm done complaining. And hopefully, done worrying. God is good. All the time. If I pray "Thy will be done," I have to know that His will is "to conform me to the image of His Son." And whatever that takes is not too high a price.