Lillian Made Quilts
Proverbs 31:10-31
Lillian made quilts. I recall the very first time that I met her. Laid out on her kitchen table were squares of material. She was busily laid out the squares in a decorative pattern that suited her fancy. Every time I went to “Lilly’s Pad” she was busily sewing stitching, or laying out patterns for quilts, comforters or baby blankets Lillian made a lot of quilts. She probably made them for her 13 children. She, she probably made them for her 48 grandchildren, she made them for her great grandchildren, and probably her great-great grandchildren. She made quilts for friends, she donated quilts to Lake Union so that they could be auctioned off to send kids to camp.
Lillian also loved the Lord. She was involved here at Lake Union until her health prevented her from physically attending. Yet she did not sit idly by . She quilts. She never sat around with idle hands or feet for that matter. She couldn’t afford to! She had thirteen children to raise, and cloth and feed.
Lillian was Proverbs 31 woman. What do I mean by that? Hear the word of the Lord from Proverbs 31:10-31.
I. She was diligent in her work.
I cannot remember a time that I went to visit Lillian that she was not either, working on a quilt, or planning to work on a quilt.
Quilts are beautiful aren’t they? The remind me of a tapestry. I am sure most of you have seen a tapestry hanging on a wall. What we see is the finished product.
If we turn a tapestry over we see all the knots that were tied and strings hanging loose. Sometimes life gets a little stringy and knotty, just like the back of a tapestry, or for that matter the back of her quilts. Yet Lillian new how to make the best of it. She just gave her concerns over to the Lord.
Doesn’t the psalmist description sound just like her? Listen again
1. She brings good not harm
2. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands
3,. She gets up while it is still dark; In doing so she modeled her Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus rose up early in the morning to pray. And I know from my conversations with her that she was a praying woman, especially praying for her children; she provides food for her family
4. She considers a field and buys it, she plants a garden
5. She sets about her work diligently; her arms are strong for the tasks
6. When it snows she has no fear for her household. For all of then were clothed- what a chore that must have been to cloth 13 children!
7. She makes coverings for her bed. There is that quilt thing again
8. she watches over the affairs of her household
9. She does not eat the bread of idleness
II. She was lady of dignity
From my perspective Lillian led a quiet simple life. She was a lady of dignity and wisdom. Imagine how much she has seen in her lifetime. Imagine the joy she experienced and the grief she bore in 93 years of life. She fully understood what it Jesus meant when He says in John 16:33 “ In this world you will have trouble. but take heart, I have overcome the world.” Just like Jesus, Lillian has now over come the world.
But Lillian could also laugh. I am sure she is laughing now, and I am sure you find laughter in your memories of mom.
• Butchering 500 chickens in a day, and then wanting to fry chicken for supper that night.
• Chasing cattle – I laugh as I try to visualize that site
• Bringing down one of her children with a baseball bat as he tried to out run her.
• And surely it has to bring a smile to your face when she was sliding down a hill on a snow shovel with her grandchildren at 80 years old.
I am certain there are many , many other stories can be shared. I know one thing is certain she loved the Lord and she loved her family.
Through it all the joy and heartache of raising a large family, Lillian kept her wits and her dignity about her.
III. She feared the Lord
In my many conversations with Lillian, she spoke often of how good the Lord had been to her in her lifetime; even through times of challenge and heartache.
II Cor 4:17-18”For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” For us that remain, this earth is only temporary. But for Lillian, who now sees the unseen, is in God’s dwelling place for all of eternity!
On many occasions, she told me that she was ready to go home to be with the Lord, and would always wonder why God did not call her home. I would invariably said, “ I believe the Lord has just a few more quilts for you to make.” And more she made, turning ragged pieces of material in beautiful pieces of art.
She feared the Lord. This kind of fear is not the kind that scares us like things that go bump in the night. No. it is a fear that says we are in awe of our creator. As the writer of this proverb states. …but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Lillian feared the Lord and her name is praised. Do you fear the Lord; do you have reverential awe for him?
You know, by putting your faith and trust in Christ, he can take the ragged and torn pieces of your life, not matter how ragged, no matter how torn, no matter what has happened in the days, weeks, months, and years that have gone by and turn you into a piece of beautiful art, pleasing and acceptable to the Lord our God. “The writer of Ecclesiastes says it well, “ He will make everything beautiful in its time.
Lillian’s life teaches us how to take the ragged and torn pieces of our lives and turn them over to the Savior for mending. As she was able to make something new and beautiful out of pieces of ragged material, the Lord wants us to turn the ragged pieces of our lives over to him for mending.
The last verse of this proverb says, “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” v 31
Well, Lillian has arrived at the city gates of heaven, and I am sure the Lord has rewarded her by saying to her, I love your quilts, come on in- well done good and faithful servant!
