Build

I commented to a friend that BUILD is such a great word for 2019, at least for me. This morning while working on what my day will look like I hit this moment of overwhelm that nearly stopped me in my tracks. Said friend reminded me to take a deep breath, and that I can do this. All of it. One phone call, one email at a time.

When I stepped back for a moment it dawned on me, reminded me, that this overwhelm is that moment when I look at someone else’s work, understand what goes into it and say to myself something that is most unbecoming. HOWEVER. I can do this. While thinking and making phone calls I understood why the overwhelm, mixed with a bit of frustration tried taking over my morning because building, learning, and using the developed skill-set takes work. Just like I worked on learning how to free-motion quilt. Just like I worked at doing all the things I did in ministry. I worked on gaining and developing the tools I needed. Over TIME I learned what needles to use, what thread to use, why I preferred certain tools to others. They fit my hands and brain and learning style.

Years ago I volunteered at Habitat for Humanity in Americus, Georgia, like most volunteers I worked a bit on the construction crews. Before we could build a home the prep work needed to be done. The lot needed to be cleared before an area could be made ready for the foundation to be poured. There’s a process to home building. There were crews who did some rehabbing of homes, mostly for the volunteers. Sometimes the work was simple, sometimes much more involved depending on what the building needed. So in order to build, or reconstruct there is work to be done. Some of the work will be on me. Shocking I know.

One of the cool things I learned about myself a long time ago is that I can see the work that needs to be done, not all of it because something will always come up and bite you in the backside, but a good chunk of it. Which is where the overwhelm sometimes comes from. In order to BUILD in 2019 I’m going to have to trust the skill-set I’ve developed over time. I’m going to need reminders of what needs to be done (thank God for a Bullet Journal). I’m going to need friends, because work and quilting is better with them. And I’m going to need to remember that building takes work. Just like learning to quilt. It takes time, one stitch at a time, one shop at a time, one phone call and email at a time. I’m going to need to speak kindly to myself (BUILD UP) and to others (BUILDING UP).

Oh quilters you are the best, most especially when you are building your skill-set and learning and creating, and sharing and holding onto courage even when it seems everything is not working!

Quilt on!
Teri