Taking Time Out For Charity Sewing

"God finds us best when we are lost in others."
--Ven. Archbishop Fulton Sheen


After my surgery I was basically bedridden for a month.
I learned very deeply what it is to be dependent
on the help of others in so many ways.

It's a humbling experience, and one we all should
go through at least once if only to help us understand
how necessary it is to give of our time and talents
to others.  We are not to be just individuals, focused
only on ourselves, but part of One Body.
We are "knit together" as St. Paul says.
St. Paul was a tent-maker, a fellow-craftsman who speaks our language!
We are called to help each other out.
To not keep our light under a basket.
To not bury our talents.
To lay down our life for others.
A revolutionary way of thought back then...and, sadly, still today.

Thankfully, I'm not a tv-watcher so
I did a lot of thinking while laying there.
Pretty sure the meds helped out there too! <wink>
While stewardship is an idea I was raised on, I began
to give deeper thought to how there are always more
ways to give, always more to do for others.  When you
have even the simplest abilities taken away from you,
you see what you should never take for granted.
Hopefully, you vow to put them to better use,
and to start doing more for others because
God has given us all talents for that very reason.

After my recent surgery, I was required to use
a walker for a time. At 44 years old, this did
not exactly make my day but I did stay cheery
about it and cracked a few jokes.
I even offered to race a few elderly patients at the
hospital, bringing laughs and smiles to their faces.
And I was reminded of my college days when I
worked with patients who often used walkers.



Many were poor, and often just a grocery bag was
tied to their walker for keeping belongings handy.
Which brings me to my project.
Finally.  You were wondering if I was going to get there, weren't you?


I wanted to make a bunch of these walker bags
for...well, for whom?  A quick check with a friend
who works at the local VA hospital and yep,
I discovered there was certainly a need.
I also tossed this idea around to some friends and
family and we are now up to a count of 29.
It's my goal to have 40 or more by the end of this
month so that they might be delivered by July 4.
I thought Independence Day was a fitting day to
say "Thank you" to our Vets.


These are my 10 bags.  I found a sturdy black on black stripe fabric
that would coordinate nicely with many fun fabrics that I used
for the pockets and linings.

It can be very overwhelming when we think of
all the "need" out there but we can't allow that to
stop us from action.
God will put the right "needs" in front of us.
We just have to be still and quiet long enough
to listen and to see.


My sister's 15 bags.

It could be as simple as making a baby quilt for
a friend who is expecting.  Or a little bigger
project like walker bags for those who have
given service to a whole country. 
"Our neighbor" comes to us in many different
ways and with many different needs.

Who (and with what) have you set time aside for lately?
I'd love to hear more ideas!

Comments

Debbie said…
Beautiful post and exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for putting it out there and stepping up to the line. Love your vet bag idea and I say go for it, girl!
My little quilt guild started making walker bags for the VA hospitals last year. They went over MUCH better than the lap quilts we'd been making for them. We just got a new, better pattern at our guild meeting on Monday night. We have a sew-in scheduled for next month. Our guild president got the idea when she had her first knee replacement, and a friend made one for her.