“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

 

John Wesley

 

homemade stockingsLast year the Trinity Stitchers couldn’t meet in person because of COVID-19 restrictions, so we did all of our projects from home. We were asked to make 25 Christmas stockings for the residents in healthcare at The Hermitage. We had used most of our Christmas fabric the year before and really only had scraps left over. This however wasn’t a problem, as our leader Janet Hill always tells us, “The Stitchers don’t waste anything!” So, the patchwork stockings in the picture were made from our Christmas fabric scraps. The scraps became a blessing because we were able to make something useful that would also bring someone joy.

As I reflect on the text from John Wesley, when we do good things by the means available to us when and wherever we can for anyone we see in need, we become a blessing. This is how I see the Stitchers. We make lap quilts, prayer shawls and squares, scarves, booties, masks and Christmas stockings and crafts. Our mission is to provide items which convey our commitment to share God’s love and grace.

During Advent we anticipate the birth of Christ, the greatest blessing of all. He came as a servant and we are likewise called to serve. What greater blessing is there than to be able to serve your fellow man in a time of need?

Let us pray this simple prayer offered by Father Tim, a character in Jan Karon’s book At Home in Mitford.

“Father, make me a blessing to someone today, through Christ our Lord, Amen.”

Barbi Fitz

nativity in white cardboard on blue background

Learn more about Advent at Trinity!