Healing Scars by Helping Others
How sweet of you my friend; thanks for your comments. Yes I've made that many hats. What I didn't add was the story behind the yarn that started it all. A dear friend died (she was the worlds greatest pack rat yard sale queen). She bought so much yarn that it filled a small storage unit here in South Bend. When she died, her grandchildren knew I'd use it so they gave it to me. I had 1/4 of my bedroom filled from floor to ceiling with yarn. I started making hats, scarves, slippers, mittens, small lap blankets, and sweater vests for the UGM in February of 2001. It was slow going and I didn't think I was getting the stuff to the homeless fast enough, so I started making hats and slippers. Nothing fancy just something I could whip out fast and keep heads and feet warm. slippers without balls can make warm sox and the lack of balls on hats and slippers accumulate enough to make more hats. So it's been since then and the tally is still going; I have 3 liquor boxes full left, which is enough for quite a few more, and the UGMission sends me yarn whenever it is donated.
I buy yarn as I can, and have expanded to our school. ECAP is early learning for families in our financially distressed area. Our school is not wealthy either; not enough income for families to promote booster clubs and such for the kids. So I'm making hats for the school (in school colors) for the sports, band and teachers; so that when they attend activities they have something with the school colors to set them apart from the other teams and fans.
I got that idea when attending the football games watching my grand-son, James. If it wasn't for the crate paper and balloons, you couldn't tell who was which in the stands.
Being raised by a pair of Christian, grown-up depression kids, I learned to look for ways to solve problems that I could see. The doing it myself comes from God. "How can I look at myself and see any worth if I don't do what is in my power to do, especially calling myself a child of God"? So it's my way of saying thank you to God (Dad) for all he's done and is doing in my life. No fanfares are necessary; He already knows. As I said in the piece; my life was saved from a head on collision, so He isn't finished using me here yet. "I love it"! Doing things like this fills my spirit will such overflowing happiness that I don't even miss not having family around me. I go out and collect family and shower them will all the love God gave me to give them.
I don't want great praises for doing what I should be doing with the gifts God has given me. I just wish more people would reach out to our hurting homeless instead of trying to hide them so they aren't seen, or look down on them for being in that position.
I've been there three times in my life. "It's scary"! "It's miserable existing that way"! "It's humiliating and degrading and leaves scars that can never heal completely"!
The healing process for me is ongoing; God brought me the yarn and the need and gave me the skill I needed to begin my own healing, while being a blessing to others in need. That's the way my precious Dad is and I love Him with all my heart and soul. But then, He already knows that. May you be blessed this Christmas as I am.
I got that idea when attending the football games watching my grand-son, James. If it wasn't for the crate paper and balloons, you couldn't tell who was which in the stands.
Being raised by a pair of Christian, grown-up depression kids, I learned to look for ways to solve problems that I could see. The doing it myself comes from God. "How can I look at myself and see any worth if I don't do what is in my power to do, especially calling myself a child of God"? So it's my way of saying thank you to God (Dad) for all he's done and is doing in my life. No fanfares are necessary; He already knows. As I said in the piece; my life was saved from a head on collision, so He isn't finished using me here yet. "I love it"! Doing things like this fills my spirit will such overflowing happiness that I don't even miss not having family around me. I go out and collect family and shower them will all the love God gave me to give them.
I don't want great praises for doing what I should be doing with the gifts God has given me. I just wish more people would reach out to our hurting homeless instead of trying to hide them so they aren't seen, or look down on them for being in that position.
I've been there three times in my life. "It's scary"! "It's miserable existing that way"! "It's humiliating and degrading and leaves scars that can never heal completely"!
The healing process for me is ongoing; God brought me the yarn and the need and gave me the skill I needed to begin my own healing, while being a blessing to others in need. That's the way my precious Dad is and I love Him with all my heart and soul. But then, He already knows that. May you be blessed this Christmas as I am.
posted by Jan myrz @ 11:05 AM
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