These days I feel like I’ve been thrown in the washing machine, twisting back and forth, back and forth, agitation at every turn and then holding on as the spinning makes the blood rush to my head and threatens to spin my life completely out of control.

But then comes a pause. A signal ending the cycle. A reminder that “though I am surrounded by troubles…the Lord will work out His plans for my life – for [His] faithful love…endures forever” (Psa. 138:7, 8 NLT). And I remember.

Somewhere along the way I started thinking I was a prom dress with delicately appliquéd beads and lace and a tulle skirt flowing to the ankles and this rough agitation and spinning would send the beads flying and rip the tulle to shreds. I agree that I hardly know anything about washing machine cycles, but all I care about is how much it hurts the fabric and makes us all look so bad.

But now I remember. I’m not a prom dress. I’m a quilt. Bits and pieces patched together in unlikely harmony to make up what I am. I’ve seen a lot of them making a t-shirt quilt or something similar when they want to piece all of their good memories together. I’m not the kind that never gets used or hangs on a wall. I’m the kind that is a little quirky and gets jumped on and wrapped around and dragged on the floor and picnicked on and gets dirty.

Photo credit: Rebecca Love Photography

So I need washing. And into the washer, I go and twist back and forth, back and forth by the merciless agitator, and then spin and spin and spin. This sometimes makes the washer mad and defects it attains. My owner plans to get the Washing Machine Repair done and it gets ready to spin me up again.

And I am clean again.

This beautifully made quilt was laying on the bed in the room prepared for us in one of the homes where we stayed for three weeks in the Philippines. Below is the quilt label attached to the backing of the quilt. The label states, “Quilt machine pieced and quilted by: Nancy Christensen; Mont Vernon, NH 2003. I made this quilt as a fundraiser for Alex Hansen who is fighting a long battle with cancer. May this quilt bring joy and warmth to the new owner and a miracle for Alex!” The quilt was raffled and won by the Filipino woman we were staying with when she was living in New Hampshire with her New Hampshire native husband over ten years ago. It was one of the few things that made its way to the Philippines when they moved, and it has been giving “joy and warmth” to more than just its owner. It was such a comfort to me while staying in a new place for the season we were there.