In a dream, I was the caretaker of a funeral parlor. My friend, Leesa Nesty, was there working too. The folks coming into the parlor were not coming to pay respect to any deceased individual; they were coming for an auction.
Strangely, I was wearing a black sheet. I kept one hand on the sheet at all times to keep it securely wrapped around me. I was getting frustrated that wearing the robe was hindering my work. I was embarrassed at wearing a sheet.
I remembered that in an upper room of the parlor, I had a change of clothes. I went there to change, but I couldn’t get in as the door was locked. I then remembered that Leesa held the key. I meandered down and back through the crowd, wearing my unlike toga sheet, to get the key from Leesa. By the time I had changed, all items were sold, and everyone was gone.
Dreams are a way in which God communicates to me to get me to ponder and glean insight on subject matters weighing on my mind. Pre-dream, I was thinking about the word God had given me to focus on for 2021—GRACE. I was also thinking about our nation.
And then, the dream.
A funeral parlor represents a place to go and say final farewells to the deceased.The items for the auction, I believe, were our nation’s liberty. My friends, America will die if she continues to have her freedoms sold to high bidders.
Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the armor of God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes. It tells us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
In the dream, I went to the upper room to change out of my sin-ugly drape. Spiritually speaking, an “upper room” represents a place where we sit with God and hear what He has to say. Yet, a key was needed to open the door. What was the key? A repentant heart.
At 2:30 a.m., I woke from this dream and repented. I opened my Bible to Isaiah 51 and read: “My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way…AWAKE…clothe yourself with strength!” This is grace.
I said a prayer, fell back asleep, and woke later humming, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee…”
Grace upon grace. His Amazing Grace.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Ask God what things He may be asking you to repent, and then, humbly enter the “upper room” and sit with God. He is alive and well, still speaking to ordinary people, doing extraordinary things!
In a dream, my friend and I left the house on our bicycles, anticipating a great ride. Midway through our journey, we encountered roadblocks and detours that took us off course and caused us to get lost. It appeared to be late afternoon when we stopped in a small town to ask for directions to get us back home. We stopped asking several people, but none seemed to know the way or care if we found our way or not. Finally, one kind young man said, “I’ll show you the way. Just follow me.”
The man was driving a pickup. We could have easily put our bicycles in the bed of his truck, but noooo, he asked us to follow him. So, as he drove along in his truck, we lagged behind, peddling as fast as we could to keep up. When we finally came to a landmark we recognized, we gave the driver a thumbs-up and let him go on his merry way. We were certain we could make it the rest of the way on our own.
But, we didn’t. The light of day turned to darkness upon us.
The lesson take-away here is this: To return to our heavenly home, we must follow Jesus all the way.
“I will lead the blind by ways the have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”
Isaiah 42:16
7.14.20 Christian Women’s Group, Dyes Country Club, Greenwood, IN
As a rule, I don’t post talks I’ve given, usually, because I always share the same thing–His Story in a unique quilt. On this night though, I presented something new, something I was nervous to share, something that could be construed too controversial. The talk, The Color of Character: Recapturing Our True Beauty, was based upon a phrase God had given me weeks earlier.
In the end, several folks told me it is a timely message and one that I need to continue to share. So, with that said, below is a shortened version of what I shared.
Where we are going to spend eternity is a color issue. It is a matter of black, or white. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36
I had two separate but similar dreams. Both related to me conducting workshops and teaching women how to make blocks portrayed in the Immanuel Quilt.
Since the inception of the Immanuel Quilt, women have asked for the pattern. After receiving these dreams and reflecting, I saw that over the last year, my response had changed from, “It’s a unique pattern,” to “If God wants me to make the pattern available, He will let me know.”
Participating in an online Virtual Quilt Show, he sent me a person with the know-how and the willing desire to help make it happen. Corrine Hewitt, a Canadian quilt store owner, quilt pattern designer, and fellow author.
Corrine has created and published 18 quilt patterns. And, she volunteered to help me turn the Immanuel Quilt into a pattern! God sent me a person with the knowledge and know-how just as I had asked.
The day after speaking with Hewitt, another Canadian quilt store owner visiting the VQS bought my book. Since shipping was going to cost $34, I called to confirm if she still wanted the book. She chose to cancel the order but not before admitting she was purchasing the book to host a workshop on making it.
The following morning, I woke with the word “Imitate” in my thoughts. Imitate. Twice, in the making of the Immanuel Quilt God delivered one-word riddles to me, messages from God for me to discern.
The Bible tells us to imitate, or pattern, our life after Jesus.
With each of the previous one-word riddles, another sign from God followed. With the name Immanuel, He put the handwriting on the wall. With the word, invisible, He took me to Scripture to show me why He wanted the quilt stitched in invisible thread. “So, Lord,” I prayed, “Please, just one more sign to confirm this is Your will.”’ That very afternoon, I received an email asking what workshops I offer.
The message came from a woman who had visited the Virtual Quilt Show. She had watched the video I had submitted and, as the program director of a quilt guild, she reached out to see about me doing a workshop for her guild. I called to tell her I offer no workshops, but, that her email came timely to confirm a decision I had been wrestling with. I shared with her all that I have just shared here. She said, “Honey, I am the wife of an Army Chaplain. I know how God speaks and I don’t think He can speak any clearer. He is opening this door for you so that you may share the message of the quilt, the gospel, to an all-new audience.”.
God’s plan for me to participate in the Virtual Quilt Show was to show me the next step to take with the ministry. He wants to do something new with the Immanuel Quilt to reach more people.
The Immanuel Quilt is only another beautiful quilt without the story, right? With that in mind, no pattern will be sold without the book. In addition to the book, the instructions for each block is going to include a devotional on the Name of Jesus the blocks portray.
I hope this news excites you and inspires you to think about what new ideas, opportunities, and perspectives God might be trying to give you. May you be blessed as you seek, and learn, and carry out His plans for you.
2.16.20 St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, Terre Haute, IN
The book signing show and tell was widely publicized. For two weeks the publicity included television ads with a photo of me, and that of the Immanuel Quilt. The ads were seen on televisions all across the Wabash Valley.
A good turnout was expected, but no one came. Except one.
The woman who had extended the invitation for me to come and speak, she came. I wasn’t sure if she came out of pity or genuine interest, but for whatever reason, she came. And so, to an audience of one, I shared His Story in a unique quilt–the whole story. Then, we sat for a chat–me, Tom, and the woman. We had a good long chat.
Tom and I opted to take a walk before leaving the grounds of St. Mary. The path we chose commemorates the Stations of the Cross. Memories flooded my thoughts as it was less than a year ago Tom and I were in Jerusalem walking the path in which Jesus carried the burden of our cross. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and sensed God saying, “And I would have done it for one.”
God’s plan was for me to humble myself and do it for one.
A few days later I received this message from the woman.
“I’ve been trying since our parting on Sunday to find the words to thank you. So many people under the circumstances would have been disappointed or even angry, but instead, you and your husband were gracious and welcoming. Several people have now asked me about your response to Sunday with the expectation that you left unhappy with your time at the Woods. Projecting my own feelings, I would think there was a bit of discontentment with the turnout, but I hope you know that for me, your visit was life-giving.”
The Bible says, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4)
Oh, how I wish I could tell you that my response to unpleasant circumstances is always soothing and gracious, but it is not. Just days after presenting this “life-giving” talk to one,my actions spoke a very different message. I demonstrated some sin-ugly behavior on a grand scale. I felt ashamed for the way in which I had responded to a circumstance and knew that I had not portrayed a Christ-like image.
I confessed the sin to God, then I went to bed, and was given a very comforting dream. In my dream was a plane flying in the air with one of those banner messages waving along behind it. The message: You are forgiven.
Jesus carried the cross to Calvary and conquered death, so that we may be forgiven. No matter what sin-ugly behaviors we have done—there is One who endured the Stations of the Cross to forgive us–and He would have done it for One. His Name is Jesus.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7
