“Why Would God Care About Us???”

“Why Would God Care About Us???”

Towards the beginning of this journey, I  (Carrie), knew I had to give some of my lifelong passions over to God, sacrificially. Not everyone must, but I figured that my love of sewing & working with fabric may not be accessible all over the world. 

You see, I have had such a joy all of my life “playing” and creating with fabric – from the time I was three, I was making clothes for my dolls with my sisters. I love to sew, quilt, and use my quilting as art (I have designed a number of patterns, have spoken internationally, taught color classes and even worked quilt humor into a business!)

So I, literally, in tears, sacrificed this to God, asking Him to take away my passion of working with fabric.  I figured it would be much easier to willingly give it to Him and then not sew, rather than have this passion yanked  - fingernail rips in the fabric as it is pulled away unwillingly out of my hands.

God is such a gentleman – he received this paltry sacrifice of mine…. But only diminished it greatly, rather than take it completely away.

Then a few months later we were having a garage sale & a lady came up & said, “You’re a quilter, right?”  “Yes” I answered.  “Do you have any fabric for sale?” Oh my word – I hadn’t even THOUGHT of that! “I will be right back down with some!” Off I went.  As I piled my arms with fabric, I was ready to leave the room & I heard God say, “Wait!” 

“Lord, I have a buyer… “

“Wait!”

“But…”

“Wait!”

So, I put the fabric down, went back out to the lady waiting (thinking all the while, “What am I going to tell her???”) I saw her and out came the words, “I’m sorry, but I just can’t sell it right now.”

She replied very empathetically, “Oh, honey, I understand!”

I thought, “Well, not for the reasons I am privy to!”

A bit later in the process for being willing to be called out, we had a call from a leader who was wondering if I would be willing to speak to a group of women for an outreach.  I asked the Lord, He said “Sure”, so I did too.  Then I asked if there was a subject they would like me to speak upon. “No”, was the answer from the leader. “Ok,” I said.  I am not an expert, but I have spoken to enough groups that I thought of some ideas I could be speaking about.

  Well, the time came… we are in the air, headed to a country where many don’t know English and I am going over my notes when I heard God say, “So what do these women want to know, Carrie?”  I quipped off my answer & then asked, “Will this still work or do You have something else in mind?” God answered & said, “How about a question and answer time?”  “Ok, Lord.”  Done.

  We arrive & on the way to where we are staying, the leader asks me if I am prepared for the next evening’s outreach. I confirmed that I was. 

Then they asked, “What will you be speaking about?”

I replied, “Well, it will be a question and answer time.”

“Oh, GREAT idea!”

“Well, God changed it up on the way over here.  What kind of outreach is it?”

“I’m not going to tell you!”  (Did I mention this leader is a bit ornery??)

The outreach time draws near.  We are driving there, enter the building & you could hear the excitement and fun coming from the women. The leader indicates that I should head first up the stairs, so I comply.  When I get to the top of the stairs, I burst out laughing…..30-40 women are all quilting!  I thought to myself, “Well, at least I know where I can send my fabric when I move overseas!”

Eventually, they finish with their quilting for the evening and are requested to sit in a circle for the guest speaker (me).  The translator is seated on one side of me and the leader on the other. I am introduced, they announce it is a question and answer time & a hand flies up in the air.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE??” Comes out of this woman’s mouth like angry machine gun fire and precision.  So, I explain briefly about God caring for each and every one of them.

Another hand flew up, “WHY WOULD GOD CARE ABOUT US?” is sprung forth with similar precision and hostility. (Maybe it is cultural??)

The questions kept coming, each one with more & more depth requested. After about 30 minutes, the final question arrived, “Who IS Jesus, anyway?”  I looked to the leader to see if an assigned “answerer” would be used.

“Go ahead, it’s your gig.” Came the answer.

“Lord, where do you want me to start?” (Each culture is different regarding how to approach history) “Genesis” was the answer He gave, so I asked Him for a Reader’s Digest Condensed version! He amply supplied, and when I was done, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room! Some women were sobbing. The leader leans over and says,

“Carrie, you’re witnessing a miracle. These people HATE to show emotion. If they HAVE to, it is only in front of family.  Carrie, NONE of these women know each other!”

I thanked the Lord for speaking through me and my translator.  On the way home, I learned that the ONLY believers in the entire room were the four of us that came in the car & the three pastors’ wives!