Sewing, Babies, and Looking Ahead

Some of my activities lately have brought back memories.

I’ve been doing some sewing recently, even though I hadn’t touched my sewing machine during the past four years at seminary. (Except, of course, to move it from place to place to place!) I’m sewing the crinoline which our daughter will wear under her wedding dress in just a few short weeks. This crinoline is a bouffant creation made of about 20 yards of taffeta and nylon netting. As I worked on it, I was both saddened and relieved that I hadn’t volunteered to create the actual wedding dress. But that would probably have been too stressful this summer amidst everything else that is going on - and a serious strain on my rusty sewing skills!

I couldn’t help but remember other sewing projects for her in years past: numerous costumes, a red flowered dress with lace trim, a navy plaid wool jumper, and a pink gingham sundress, among others. But the project I remember most comes from a summer long past, when between tending a new baby and her three year old brother, I was sewing white eyelet lace into her baptismal gown and matching bonnet.

I’ve also had the great joy this summer of spending time with our twin grandsons and their big sister. I must admit, I’ve never felt quite so outnumbered as when I’ve spent several hours alone with the twins! At 8 weeks old, they still stay where you put them, but they are certainly able to let you know if they aren’t happy about it. They are also starting to be much more alert – recognizing voices and smiling at those who love and care for them. I treasure this time with them, and it also reminds me of days long past, when their daddy and his sister were tiny. I felt just as helpless when they cried as I do now when these two do.

It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed! And yet we have come full circle from eyelet to netting; from babies to grandbabies. God has brought many changes into our lives, yet he remains a constant presence! People often ask us why we are entering ministry now, at this stage in our lives. All I can say is that God had other plans for us until now. We had children to raise; places to see; people to meet; and many, many things to do.

Now he has called us into another part of our journey, where I firmly believe there are plenty more things to be done. We look forward to our ministry with God's children in a new place!