LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

No title for this post seemed right until the words to this old song came to mind the other morning so I googled it and knew I had found the right one. No two pieces I write come about in the same way. One may slog around in my fog of a mind for a while before it is written while another gets done right away. I may know almost exactly what will be written for one idea but start on another one and it turns out completely different from my original thought or stays in the "draft" folder for a while till it is ready to be finished.  

I want to share things that have been given to me in stressful, hurting times-not big expensive things but small, thoughtful, meaningful ones. So when a song I hadn't thought of for years and years floated through, I knew it was the title I had been looking for.

~Little Things Mean A Lot~
Give me a hand when I've lost the way
Give me your shoulder to cry on

I've had hands to hold and shoulders to cry on when I've needed them most and mementos to remind me:
The Lion and The Lamb were given to me at the passing of my son, Rick, several months ago by my brothers and sisters.

 Sister, Shirley, made this all tied, all white lap robe for me, it was given to me August 30, 2013. The year before, my husband had passed and I had been trying to sell my home for over a year. This day the sale was official, along with signing papers on my future home, plus the divorce of my granddaughter, plus the death of my son-in-law-yes, all in the same day. When I walked out of the closing, I was in a daze and just crumpled onto my brother's shoulder who had been with me for support. Shirley had made this for me praying all the way through, I am sure because so many things were happening, had happened and were going to happen. Jim gave me the robe from her when we got home and settled down a little from the day. It lays across the back of my chair. It would never win a prize in a quilt contest but it wins first prize in comfort every time I put it over my legs.

 Another treasure is a handmade card from friend, Doris. She also put my name in calligraphy on the stone. She made one for each gal in our Bible Study after we studied the passage "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.   Rev 2:17 Isn't it awesome that we will have a new name and written in stone yet. And I think it is awesome to have a friend to take the time to make these treasures.  

this is the inside of Doris's handmade card. she sent it when son, Rick, died in July-and, yes, I did feel like an empty pitcher during that time.

These are scarves my youngest sister, Jackie, has made for me. The one on the bottom has some of our mother's jewelry attached. She is always coming up with something unique-

and another one by Jackie. It is hooded and you can see Little Girl likes it also.

 Jackie crocheted this one for me while I was going through radiation after breast cancer surgery several months ago. You talk about a comforting thing. Wearing this reminds me of my sister's love and of the prayers she was sending up for me as she worked and that I am cancer free.

Jackie also made this tote, it is one of four she made, Mom had one, one for me, Shirley and herself. Really handy to carry my Bible and other paraphernalia to church.

 this is the special cup I have my coffee in almost every morning. It is from son, Rick, and Sherry, his wife. They gave it to me for Christmas almost 2 years ago along with some other things. Don't you love it. And, yes, my hair does look like that sometimes.

Shirley sewed a strip of fabric across one end of a nice bath towel.  The closeup reminds me of us three sisters.

 Ah, yes. My favorite candy bar. Grandson, Dan, brought this in a few days ago because he saw it at the store and remembered it is my fave.

  
These are just some of my "things of comfort"-[that is one of the titles I originally was thinking of for today's post] because each of these along with other things that have brought comfort and continue to do so.

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2 Cor 1:3-4 

God bless you and comfort you as He blesses and comforts me daily.
Carolyn Wainscott