An Unleashed Story….
April: “Might there be some women at your church who like to quilt and who would be willing to make some quilts for our Hospice patients for Christmas? We’d like to give each of them a lap quilt for Christmas this year.”
Cynthia: “How many do you need?”
April: “Currently, 75–but that could change between now and then.”
Cynthia, chuckling: “75, huh? You do realize it’s already October.”
An odd beginning for what would become a thriving ministry to Hospice patients in Arkansas. That Christmas there would be no quilts for the patients, but by the next, more than enough lap quilts were ready to be wrapped. Kingdom Quilters was born. The most surprised among the twenty-eight quilters was Elaine Green.
Say’s Elaine, “When Linda told our Woman on a Mission class about April’s phone call to the church, my first thought was, ‘I love to quilt but I don’t have time to organize such an effort.’ It would take a lot of women helping to pull it off! I work full-time and many weeks way more than full-time. Someone else would have to organize it.” That someone never materialized, so Elaine took on the job herself.
“I kept praying, ‘Lord, I can’t do this by myself! You’re going to have to bring the women.’” That prayer became Elaine’s mantra for many months as she solicited help through the bulletin at Fellowship Bible Church and the word about Kingdom Quilters began to circulate. Before Elaine knew it, people were coming alongside her to help: April Spencer–the Hospice Volunteer Coordinator who made the initial call to Fellowship and who would learn to quilt that year, and Cynthia Klumpp, the secretary who received the phone call, among the first to join the cause. Soon, the quilts of every color and design began to stack up.
By December 1st of the next year, piles of beautiful handmade quilts, wrapped with a big red bow, were delivered to 101 men, women and children, all Hospice patients in seventeen counties across the state. Attached to each was a poem that I wrote to help the recipients understand that the quilters were motivated not only by their love of quilting but also by the love of Christ –the first and ultimate Christmas gift.
Handmade Blessing
This quilt is unique,
Made especially for you;
Stitched with prayer
In every color and hue.
Handmade with love
Crafted to bless;
Your body to warm,
Your heart, caress.
As troubles come
And untold fears,
Know someone has prayed;
God sees yours tears.
He cares for you
As a mother her babe;
For God so loved
His Son He gave.
Quilted by one
Who sends her best;
May it bring a smile
And peaceful rest.
