The Scarlet Thread

Imagine a beautiful quilt, each square depicting a scene from your life - joys and tears, triumphs and tragedies, successes and failures…What would your quilt look like?

I just read The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers. What a wonderful book! It’s the story of 2 women who lived centuries apart, but had so much in common. Both were uprooted from their homes; both journeyed through painful struggles that left them doubting, questioning and even rejecting God; and both returned to God after realizing His presence, provision, and unconditional love through every situation.

A tattered journal, an heirloom quilt, and a shared heart for God knitted these two women together.

I couldn’t help but think how my spiritual journey paralleled theirs. I’m no stranger to putting things in my life before God – career, marriage, other goals. I’m no stranger to the pain of infidelity or divorce. And I’m no stranger to the lure of independence, thinking I need to handle everything on my own, feeling alone in my struggles.

Fortunately, like these two women, I also came to realize that God was with me through it all. He cried when I cried, He lifted me when I stumbled, and He welcomed me with open arms when I returned and recommitted my life to Him. Whether I knew it or not, He was the scarlet thread woven in and through each quilted scene. And He still is – there are so many more squares to be sewn.

What common thread runs through the scenes of your life? What (or who) do you rely on to hold everything together? What does your quilt look like?