The Afghan of God’s Love

When my husband, Jonathan, was first offered a job at George Mason University, my response was to sit and ask God when he got a sense of humor. I saw my future somewhere sunny, warm, and out west (if I wasn’t in Florida). But furthermore, I had said I would never, of my own accord, move to Northern Virginia. I held many fears about life here, and if I am being honest, I still do. Particularly, many days I feel I am fighting a losing battle in connecting with God. To put a finer point, I worry that I am becoming merely a product of my anxious, fast paced, and secular surroundings.

I have struggled with being present to God in my life since before moving. This highlights for me that the issue runs deeper in me than a transition to a new area. Yet, the pace of Northern Virginia certainly exacerbated the feelings of distance from God. My hope was that this distance issue was a Logan issue. Unfortunately, I see this issue as systemic, and not just to Northern Virginia.

As with all things under God, this bitter recollection would not have the last word. Yesterday I received a long-awaited gift that still managed to surprise me with it’s arrival. A member of Peace with a uniquely warm spirit crafted a beautiful afghan for me. Immediately I took it from the bag and draped it across my shoulders. What struck me most of all was not the particularly intricate knitting, the thoughtful card, or the carefully formulated care instructions. Instead, it was the weight of the afghan. It was much heavier than I expected, and the weighing on my shoulders brought my attention to God’s great love in my life. I truly felt God’s love as heavy and tangible as the afghan on my shoulders. I began taking stock of God’s love in my life; a family who loves me, a job that I truly enjoy waking up to, the opportunity to attend seminary, having enough money to make ends meet, being able to know and serve alongside both Pastor Krista and Pastor Doug. There is no shortage of God’s love in my life, yet, for over a year after moving, I had never truly taken the time to acknowledge and embrace God’s presence in my life.

Today I encourage you to not wait for something to stirs your attention. Do not wait for the afghan from heaven to arrive, no matter how incredible it may be. Go and take stock of where God is in your life today. Had I done so I would have seen God’s great love pouring from the person who made the afghan and delighted in her company as the true gift from God.