| Aunt Amelia I have a patchwork quilt given to me by my favorite Aunt Amelia just before she died. I always kept it in a plastic bag so it would stay nice until I could make it into a wall hanging. When I checked it some time back some of the patches had begun to tear. She told me she had used pieces of old cloth from clothes worn by her six children when they were little. Yes, she saved everything. Then I realized that her 'little' kids were then already in there sixties and seventies. No wonder the cloth didn't hold up. But after reading the quilt story (see below) maybe I'll just hang it the way it is, and frame the quilt story to hang beside it. If anyone had holes in her quilt where Jesus shown through it would be my Aunt Amelia. She was a hard worker and her life was not an easy one but she rarely, if ever, complained. She managed her home, raised six children, held down a job and sometimes two, and raised and canned much of the food the family ate. When anyone needed a place to stay, you went to Amelia's house. If you ran out of money or food, you went to Amelia. If you were young and didn't know how to manage the house, the budget, or the new baby, you called Amelia. When my dad was conscripted by the government to head one of the construction crews to build the Alcan Highway, he moved his family to the small town of LeMars, Iowa where Amelia lived. He knew she would look out for his wife and child while he was away. When anyone needed comfort, advice, or a friend it was to Amelia they turned, because in spite of her own busy life, they knew she would really listen and care. She saved my life more than once. When I was a baby my folks were on their way to visit my Aunt and Uncle Gene, my dad's brother, when they got caught in a blizzard. By the time they reached their house I was nearly frozen as the car heater had quit working. My dad told me that Aunt Amelia never even stopped to greet them. She grabbed me from his arms, wrapped me in blankets, and laid me on the warm oven door. He never doubted that she saved my life. Another time when the doctors told my folks that I would need to have a hospital bed at home as part of the recovery from tuberculosis of the spine, they didn't have a clue how to get a hospital bed and certainly not how to pay for one. Again my dad told the story of how Aunt Amelia said she knew what to do and walked to the hospital, with her own six kids in tow, and demanded to see the administrator. By the time she was done talking the hospital had donated one of their beds. My Aunt Amelia made the best pickled beets in all the world. She knew I loved them so everytime we would visit she would bring out a jar just for me. The last time I saw my aunt she was ninety years old. My husband, George, and I spent the weekend at her house. She had slowed down a bit, but was still actively involved in church, community, and her family as she had always been. Her concessions to growing older, she said, were that the grandkids had to do the yard work and shovel the snow. And she had to give up canning a couple years earlier as it had gotten to be to much for her. On Sunday, when all was ready for dinner she made a trip to the basement, bringing up her very last jar of pickled beets. Handing them to me, she said, "I saved this one just for you".  Aunt Amelia and Uncle Gene The Quilt Story As I faced my Maker at the last Judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with the other souls. Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt, in many piles. An angel sat before each of us sewing quilt squares together into tapestries that represented our lives. As my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I had endured, which were the largest holes of all. I glanced around me. No one else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty. Finally, the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light. . . the scrutiny of truth. The others arose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been! My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to arise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and death, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I had spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully; each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the critical gaze of those who unfairly judged me. And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it had been. I arose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with eyes wide. Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image. The face of Christ. Our Lord then stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you". May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through. Author Unknown Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 Return to 'A Good Day' Site Map |