Fear is not our Portion

I happened across this quilt pattern when my memory went to my first quilt. 

My friend Betty taught me how to quilt by making a placemat. It had all the principals needed but in less than two hours, I had a prototype for a quilt. That little lesson sparked a fire and I wanted to make MORE.

I had gone to a yard sale and for $1.00 I had bought a bag that had some hand-sewn quilt blocks and was full of fabric pieces to make more blocks. I went home to work on my first solo quilt. (Pattern was SHOO FLY - pictured)

I didn't know anything about the fabric having bias or straight of grain...I just used what I could find to make the blocks. 

Betty came over to visit and I showed her what I was doing. She said, "Girl, could you have picked a harder block?!?" More lessons ensued learning how to make the block correctly. I ended up making a HUGE king sized quilt.

As I look back 20 years ago, my lack of knowledge didn't stop me from jumping in with both feet - going for it, making a block that was beyond my skill set.

How many of us let our lack of knowing something from moving forward. "I'm scared, you do it!" or "I don't know how and I am afraid to mess it up!"

When I was a young teen, I knew I was to minister the word of God. However my fear of messing it up, caused me to run from my calling. 

For decades because I didn't know how to answer questions about my faith, I kept my mouth shut. The more I kept my mouth shut, the more I drifted from God. The more I drifted from God, the further I got from Him. The further I got from Him, I ended up going down a really bad path.

After 20 years of running I came back to God, still hiding from my calling. Another 10 years later, I have finally accepted what God wants from me. 

Am I scared, not anymore. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world, right?!?!? 

I pray that I continue to be as bold and brave as I was when I made that first solo quilt. So what if I make mistakes, I find that I learn the most when I do. Perfect the once mistakes so that they don't happen anymore.

As fear tries to buzz around my mind, I will SHOO it away like the pesky FLY that it is. SHOO FLY, shoo. If it ends up becoming a big pest, squash it dead. 

Is there something that you have been wanting to do or try that fear is stopping you in your tracks? 

Pray, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to use that boldness that He has already put in you. Ask for guidance, He'll show you. 

When the enemy whispers doubts in your ear, tell him to GO. God gave you authority over him, he is under your foot, squash him, the doubt and the fear.

Until Next Time, God Bless!!!