In my spare time, I enjoy quilting. I love the rich colors and graphic patterns. A finished quilt can hang on the wall to be admired, or wrap a loved one.
The blocks women pieced throughout history give us a window into their world. “Churn Dash” portrays the device used to churn cream into butter. “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” reveals a relaxing moment.
Women expressed themselves through their quilting. Mathematically-inclined women drafted intricate geometrical patterns. Before women could vote at the ballot box, many boldly communicated their political views through the quilts they stitched. The Amish, who refrained from wearing bright colors, displayed their love of color with daring color combinations.
Some women included what was known as a “humility block.” This was a block made with a deliberate mistake. It indicated that only God is perfect.
The concept of the humility block was initially hard for me to accept. I could never put all that hard work in and then deliberately mar an otherwise-perfect work of art. As time went by, though, the humility block grew on me. I came to view it as charming. If one was good, why not four or five?
My embracing of the humility block, however, was not in the true spirit of the woman who initiated this custom. She used it as an acknowledgement of God’s perfection. I had reduced it to nothing more than a fashion statement.
For her, the humility block was a constant witness of who God is. It was a reminder to her family who went to bed and woke up every morning under her quilts. When she went about her daily chores, she would see the quilts and remember who God is. Passers-by would see a quilt hanging on the clothesline and would be reminded of who God is.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:3-4 NIV
UPDATE | NOV 2010: This devotional essay is now available as part of a daily devotional book, We Shall Be Changed (Christy K. Robinson, editor, Review & Herald Publishing Association, 2010).
I contributed 31 essays to this book about spirituality, faith, family and daily living, three of which relate to quilting. This was my first devotional in the quilting series (read the second, The seam ripper and the third, That we may be one).