The stars of my Variable Star quilt are made of a wide array of fabrics, everything from florals to dachshunds to paisleys. This scrap quilt is a generous queen size, so in order to make it fit our bed just right, my husband and I know that a particular star has to go on the bottom corner of the bed, just so, and then the rest of the quilt will fall in to place. That particular star is made from a wild red floral print, creating a memorable block and placeholder. When that wild red floral print star is in the bottom corner of the bed, the rest of the quilt will hang just right: equal lengths on either side of the bed, with just the right amount to fold back at the top for the pillows.
When I was making up the bed the other morning, it struck me that lenten disciplines are a bit like that wild red floral print star. When you engage in lenten disciplines—prayer, fasting, almsgiving, self-reflection—the rest of your life falls right in to place. Your priorities are set in motion, you achieve balance in your life and your relationship with God is realigned.
Ash Wednesday is this week, and we’ll recite again the extended Confession of Sin that marks that liturgy. We’ll be asked to reflect on our lives and examine our thoughts and behaviors. What’s the wild red floral star of your life that will help your life fall right into place this lenten season?
This is adapted from a blog post, “A lenten lesson found in a scrap quilt,” written by Linda Post Bushkofsky, that was published on the Women of the ELCA blog on February 24, 2011.
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