The Patchwork Quilt of Life

“The clue to the whole Christian experience, the core of the Gospel, is that the Holy Spirit lives in us corporately and individually.” (Maxie Dunnam).

Recently, I have begun learning the art of quilting. I completed my first two, full-size quilts at Christmas and gave them as gifts to my mother and mother-in-law. The looks on their faces when they opened their respective quilts is something I will never forget; it is a memory I know I will cherish for years to come. There is something absolutely wonderful about taking plain simple pieces of fabric and joining them together in beautiful patterns, often in ways you might not have dreamed of. Individually, the fabric is lovely; together the pieces come to life.

Working with other preppers in this lifestyle is very much the same. Individually, we have many talents and we can work independently to support our family through almost anything. But think of how much stronger we are together. We learn new skills from other preppers, whether our physical neighbors or from our online communities. We can expand our experiences, storage supplies, and other areas of prepping when we choose to work with and learn from our fellow preppers.

God did not design the Christian to live apart from others, but rather designed us to live righteously in the world. We are stronger when we rely on each other. When we choose to focus on our own small world, it is easy to lose sight of the things around us. This is the strength we find in supporting each other as a community and it is that strength that enables us to stay focused when we feel pressure from the outside world which does not understand us.

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TODAY IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY

May 3rd

1512 – The Fifth Lateran Council opened under Pope Julius II. Its twelve sessions lasting through 1517, the council continued under Leo X, following Julius’ death in 1513.

1675 – A Massachusetts law was enacted requiring church doors to be locked during the worship service. (Too many people were leaving before the long sermons were completed.)

1738 – English revivalist George Whitefield, 23, first arrived in America. In all, Whitefield crossed the Atlantic thirteen times, and died in Massachusetts in 1770, during his seventh visit.

1850 – Sixteen year old Charles H. Spurgeon made his public profession of faith in Jesus Christ in a Primitive Methodist Chapel, in Colchester, England. Spurgeon began a preaching career the following year which did not end until his death in 1892.

1878 – Death of William Whiting, 53, Anglican poet and music instructor. He is known to have written only one hymn during his life, but its popularity has endured: “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.”

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Source for Today in Christian History: www.studylight.org