Hi, all! 

Just a thought.

When I graduated from high school nearly 40 years ago and was preparing to leave for college, my grandparents came to visit and go to my graduation. With them, they brought a stack of my grandmother’s homemade quilts. She showed them to me and told me to pick out one for my graduation gift.

There were some that she considered beautifully done and nicer, but I surprised her by choosing the one I did. I went for the one that was made up of small 3×3 different-colored squares. There was no rhyme or reason to the design. All those small quilt blocks were backed by a large red piece. That quilt now resides on a trunk at the foot of our bed. I call it my quilt of many colors. It is precious to me because it was made with love by a dear woman who loved me.

My photo this week is of Dolly Parton’s famous coat of many colors, about which she wrote that famous song. This coat is on display in her museum at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. You can tell that the small coat was made of different colors of scraps of material. And, no doubt, as Dolly wrote, those pieces were sewn together with love. That coat was dear to her because it was made by one who loved her.

Life is full of many pieces. Some of the scraps are evenly cut while some may literally just be uneven scraps. There are many different colors, maybe even many different sizes. Yet, each piece is woven together just for us. Some of those pieces make no sense to us. Maybe we wish life was simpler, with much more happiness, much less grief and sorrow, but all the pieces come together to create the exact masterpiece we were meant to have.

Life is precious. The One Who loved you most took His time to create for you a Masterpiece that could be only yours. Full of color, shapes, and sizes. Full of the many ups and downs of life. Dear to you because it was made by One Who loves you still.

Time is fleeting. Days are too short with those we love. Wrap yourself in His loving arms this week. Enjoy all the parts and pieces that make up your life. Be thankful, as the Scripture reminds us, in all circumstances. And give Him the glory for precious memories.

Just a thought. 

’Til later.

Brad Campbell can be reached at mastah.pastah@yahoo.com.