I have always wanted a quilting machine. I wanted to start a business quilting as soon as I heard of the "Kenquilt" at the State fair back in 1988. It was this monster sewing machine that could glue (sew) together a quilt front and back and provide an income! Fast forward to 2010 in October. I surrendered to the Ministry, 2011 purchased a used quilting machine.....and divorced (Not my decision...although I had considered it more than once after 13 years...but that's another story). I wouldn't touch the machine...for 2 1/2 years. I had to debate more than once if I'd need to sell it to make my bills. Thankfully the Lord brought my Husband in my life who really believed there was a ministry with quilts. I had grown up in an Independent Baptist Church named "Messiah". It was very Missionary based and every year they would hold a Mission conference. I would be so excited to hear the stories of the Missionaries that "sold out" to God and went miles and miles away from their family to follow the call of the Lord. Messiah had quilters in the congregation that would piece and sew quilts to give the missionaries every year. There were quilts all over the word on Missionary beds that came from MY church. I just loved it. I kept thinking when we held the conference and the conference was over that if those missionaries ever got down, they would know through that quilt that the hands that touched it also folded in prayer for them and for what they did. I couldn't go, but I wanted to quilt for them. I only sewed on a quilt once for the cause...but my heart was bitten by the quilting bug. I carried the cause and the passion to want to quilt for years.
It was 2013 and I had felt strongly - through the shared calling of my Husband - that I should quit my job of four plus years and get busy with my quilting machine. But...my faith was weak. Hubs said that he felt I should quit in March, as much as I wanted to be home, I didn't think that we were financially in a position for me to quit. Both of us with Financial Peace University experience...we still hadn't completed baby step one in saving $1000 for emergencies. So....I didn't quilt. Hubs said again the believed that the fourth of July I should quit....again, we weren't ready (In my opinion).
Work started to get more stressful, headaches started to get more frequent, and to relieve stress, I would post on Facebook**my private Facebook page** about some of the calls I would take. You see, I worked answering calls for the State through a contractor about Child Support. Now that you know that, you can see how that would be a stressful type of job...right? Yes...it was. There were days I felt really good knowing I was helping kids, and there were days where the Kids parents (many may days) were not kind with the information they would hear from me about how the system worked. One day, after a very long call with a "yeller" I came home and posted about it - no names, didn't say the company I worked for, but I did state that I needed Excedrin. Headaches were keeping me in stock with it. 2 weeks later, I was fired. I was told that it was for posting negative comments on social media and it looked poorly to the client (the State). My first thought was.....really?.....REALLY?!
I did the normal sad, mad, grieving thing...then it hit me...You Silly, you were suppose to quit, you didn't, God said STOP! God worked it out because my faith was weak.
I've been unemployed for 5 months. Guess what, God has provided. Not once have we been without something to eat. Don't get me wrong, things are tight...ok, they feel beyond tight, but God has provided.
I've sold everything I can think of to sell. Whatever I still have, I believe I could make money with it in a pinch (camera for photography, cake projector that can be used on cakes as well as walls as I paint and know how to decorate cakes). I sold all my jewelry to meet bills and buy Christmas, I really don't have anything left. Now I just wonder how God will provide. I have to have Faith. Faith, is hope. I have hope.
So, today I will re-piece a quilt and get it quilted...on my quilting machine. This will be MY first quilt. I did quilt 2 quilt tops for a gal last year who was very kind to let me as she knew that I was brand new at the craft. I have to say, they didn't turn out bad. I'm looking forward to doing my own.
I will be focusing on this today and requesting prayers that the Lord will be me orders.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight Proverbs 3:5-6. I have no way to know what God has in store for me, so today I will work on Trusting Him.
Blessings to all who read this...
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