The Pattern and Fabric of Life

“When they are old, they will still produce fruit; they will be healthy and fresh.”  Psalm 92:14

I had the honor and privilege of officiating at the Celebration of Life of a special lady, Marilyn, this past week.  Marilyn was ninety-nine and a half years old and lived life fully with quiet strength, determination, and love.  She was a quilter for half of her life and a portion of her quilts were displayed at her service and is the picture with this blog.  She made quilts for each family member and prayer quilts for those in need.  She loved to work with fabric and create or follow a pattern to design each unique quilt.

Marilyn’s life and legacy is a pattern of life to follow.  She used fabric to make quilts that she chose carefully, and her fabric of life was her faith in Jesus who she intentionally chose to follow.  Her legacy continues in her family and those she served.  Marilyn loved Jesus, loved her family, and gave her gift of service to others.

My first memory of Marilyn was her radiant smile.  Her joy for life shined through her smile.  She sat with a group of older widowed ladies in worship.  I greeted one of them, Martha, with a hug one Sunday and Marilyn said, “Where’s my hug?”  And from that Sunday on, I hugged the entire row of ladies.  Marilyn wanted to be included in those expressions of love and care.

Marilyn taught throughout her life, though not a teacher by profession, but a teacher in how she lived her life adjusting to the changing patterns.  She grew up on a farm which established her strong work ethic.  Marilyn told me once, “Life happens and you just keep going.”  She never stopped living and serving her entire adult life.  Her perseverance and strength came from the Lord.

Marilyn lived out Psalm 92:14 for as she aged, she continued to be productive, healthy and stay engaged in life.  She even drove her “old” friends who no longer could drive a vehicle.  She was still driving at age ninety-eight.  Marilyn’s life had purpose and meaning through her service to others, her church, and to God no matter her age. 

The fabric and pattern of life changed throughout her life – the design was different – but it still created a beautiful life that shared her love, gifts, and faith.  As her granddaughter said, “She lived love every single day.”

So, what is the pattern of your life?  To make a quilt, Marilyn either used an existing pattern or developed one of her own in order to create a beautiful tapestry.  Her life pattern was designed by her Creator and Savior, Jesus.  She surrendered her heart and life to Jesus and allowed Jesus to design her life. 

We need to allow our Creator God and Designer to create our pattern for life.  It will be unique and different than anyone else’s life.  Even though quilters follow the same pattern, their unique touches will make the tapestry unique based on their gifts and special touches. It is the same in our lives.  Even though we each follow the pattern of Jesus through His Word and the guidance of His Holy Spirit, each of our lives will look different because of our own unique touches.

What is the fabric of your life?  The fabric is what you see – your outward life and appearance.  It is how the pattern of the Holy Spirit is revealed to others.  Fabric comes in an abundance of colors, designs, and textures.  Just like the fabric expresses the uniqueness of the pattern, the pattern of your life creates the fabric into its purpose and beauty.

God weaved beauty and purpose into the fabric of Marilyn’s life.  Her life and legacy lives on in the hearts of all she touched.  God weaves beauty into the fabric of our lives, too. 

My website – www.livinginthedifferent.com