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Joni@ImmanuelQuiltMinistry.com

Lost Keys

Lost Keys

Feb 13, 2024 | IQM Journey

 

4.13.16 Northern Indiana

ROAD TRIP

The final Show and Tell for the week was over. Mom and I had traveled three days across the north west part of Indiana for me to share the story of the Immanuel Quilt to four different women’s groups. We were ready to get home.  All the equipment and supplies I need to speak were packed in their appropriate bags ready to be put in the car. But then…I couldn’t find my keys.

Every bag was emptied looking for the lost keys. My purse, the quilt bag, the computer bag, the card bag, the projector bag, the quilt rack bag.  No keys.

Mom, too, took a turn searching.  No keys.

We checked Mom’s purse, our coat pockets, the restrooms, the trash cans, and the napkins inside the trash cans. No keys.

Numerous times we went to the parking lot searching for that which was lost. But, no keys.

The guests at the event was asked to check their bags, but no extra keys were found.

ABANDONED

Eventually, all the venue workers and guests of the day went home.  Mom and I were left on the grounds alone, with no way to enter the car, and no nearby business or restaurant to walk.

I had to make the dreaded call; the call to my husband asking him to bring me the extra set of keys.

The Bible says…

“The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.”  Psalm 145:8 (NKJV)

My husband is a man slow to anger, but, I knew I was about to see just how full of compassion and mercy he truly was. I was 140 miles from home…two hours away!

ADMISSION OF GUILT

Getting Tom on the phone and explaining our situation, if frustrated, he hid it. He demonstrated well the words of Psalm 145:8. Mom and I only needed to wait for two-plus hours for Tom’s arrival.

I thought to call a locksmith. The man came, he opened the door, for a hefty fee. We weren’t going to have to stand outside in the cold waiting.  We were hoping to find the keys inside the car, but they weren’t there.

ANGEL OF MERCY ARRIVES

During the afternoon luncheon, a woman asked me to pray with her.  She left the luncheon with another woman, leaving her car in the parking lot. Just as the locksmith was pulling away the two women pulled into the parking lot, and recognizing us, asked why we were still there. After explaining our situation, she invited us to her home for a more comfortable wait and visit.

There was no fear. I felt connected to the lady after having prayed with her earlier. So, Mom and I got in her car and off we went.

I did let Tom know what we were doing, and I assured him we would be back at the car by the time he arrived. However, we were having such a nice visit, time got away from us. Tom arrived at the venue, and we were not there. Let’s just say I was giving my husband another opportunity to demonstrate his kind compassionate heart.

THE OUTCOME

Instead of getting home at 6:00 p.m. we got home at 10:00 p.m. One last time before going to bed I dumped the contents of my purse.  Guess what I found. My keys!

Oh, how I dreaded confessing this finding to Tom.  It doesn’t matter how much mercy and compassion you have been shown in the past, confessing isn’t easy.

I know you must be most curious as to how my husband reacted to the good news. Well, let’s just say probably the same as your spouse would.

No longer hiding his annoyance he questioned how I could have missed seeing the keys inside my purse.  He thought we could have at least seen them when dumping my purse the several times that we did. I was grateful for the fresh illustration that had happened earlier in the morning.

Tom was looking for the checkbook and could not find it. I came in and found it exactly where it is always, in the drawer. For some reason he didn’t think the two scenarios were quite the same. Perhaps it was the 280 mile round trip that was making the difference.

All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. -Romans 8:28

This would include the aggravation of me losing, or being unable to find my keys.

THE LESSON OF THE LOST KEYS

When we were taken to the woman’s house, she asked that I tell her husband the story of the Immanuel Quilt. The entire story. And he saw the handprint of God upon the quilt. He was amazed by what God had done.

In all honesty, I wish this was a chapter of my journey I could erase.  But, I can’t.  It’s part of this story for a purpose.

I suggested to my husband that this encounter may be a sign that if he is going to end up where I am anyway, he might as well travel with me.

However, I believe the key purpose behind this encounter was to highlight…

“The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.” 

God is the One to whom we can always call and know will come and rescue us.

Thank you, Tom, for your grace, your compassion, and for allowing God to use you to teach us about the redeeming love of God.

Traders Point School

Traders Point School

Dec 7, 2023 | IQM Journey

God is Good!

Ten years ago, I would have never dreamed this traveling ministry would have me speaking to an audience of 400 people, little lone 400 students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. But it has happened!

For a long while now I have been sensing God wanting me to share His Story in a unique quilt with youth, and that He had intentions to send me to larger stages. Both came to fruition in one single day.

Novemeber 30, 2023 I was the guest chapel speaker for a Christian elementary school speaking to 400 students, plus faculty members and a few dozen parents.

Though His Story in a unique quilt never changes, tweaking presentations is never ending. For the school it was necessary to adapt the message for a younger audience, and I needed to trim it to twenty minutes.

I began with a five-minute puppet skit. Out of the gate the red-headed puppet, Cam-Man, was a hit capturing the attention of all who were present. Interestingly, my puppeteer was red headed, too, a teacher which just made the kids love the puppet even more.

After the brief exchange with the Cam-Man puppet telling tidbits of the story, I told more bits and pieces of the story that focuses solely on Jesus, including the special features about the Immanuel Quilt being a puzzle and having hidden images.

After chapel, I stuck around school the rest of the day giving eight more talks so that students could hear more of the story, look for the invisible images, and ask questions.

“Why is the High Priest block designed like that?”

“Why is there black in the quilt when you said God told you not to use black?”

“Horn of Salvation is a funny Name.” 

I loved their questions, comments, and active interaction. When I would ask a question, most of the class would raise their hand to answer.

Students who had trouble locating the invisible images, I would tell them to look closer. Once they would spot a hidden image I’d hear, “Awe…now I see it!”

Pointing out the Name, Dwelling Place, a boy raised his hand for me to call on him. He confidently told me that God dwells inside everyone. With gentleness I replied, “Not in everyone. He dwells in hearts of believers.”

One boy saw the face of Jesus inside the Gate block. I have had others tell me this, but I hadn’t shared this with the students. By faith the boy saw what is commonly unseen.

Some classes, totally unprompted, applauded what God has done. I pointed out the hidden Lamb of God, they clapped.

When asking the students if the story of the Immanuel Quilt had taught them anything new about Jesus, nearly every student raised their hand in agreement it had.

It was such a rewarding day. I felt in the zone, doing exactly what God had designed me to do.

That evening I was a vendor and storyteller at the school’s holiday mart. My heart melted hearing parents say that picking their children up from school that day all they could talk about was the Immanuel Quilt. Students I had seen earlier in the day had brought their parents to see the Immanuel Quilt. What a blessing it was hearing them tell the story to their parents! It was a bonus to that learn a few students had asked for the book for Christmas.

The Immanuel Quilt is not necessarily a children’s book, yet there is evidence they want it. I think what they are really wanting is proof that God is real, He speaks, and that He is with them, and God is using the Immanuel Quilt to deliver these truths.

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. -Psalm 105:1

Want to see a video of me speaking at the school? Check it out here.