bits and pieces

I taught a class this week called Bits and Pieces. A group of women have asked me to be their paid consultant as they venture out into the wonderful wide world of creation. They are my age, finished with the first two thirds of their lives, and exploring their own creativity. My job is to provide information, inspiration, practical how to’s, supplies and permission. What we do together seems useless in many ways. We are not solving any problems, feeding the poor or visiting the sick, marching for peace or praying. All we do is sit together, play with our bits and pieces, creating beauty that has meaning for us. What we do will never be shown in a gallery or sold for a great deal of money. Others opinions of what we do is not important. All that matters during this time together is our own learning, pleasure and creative energy. When we leave the class, we all carry some new bits and pieces home to use in our creative time for the week to come.
Most of my days seem to be bits and pieces. Some are lovely little works of art that stand alone, full of joy and creation, good work and pleasure. Others are a mixture of drudgery (Mondays) with a little fun thrown in for spice. Occasionally I have days that feel full of purpose and awareness of God in my life. Then there are the days and nights filled with longing and loss for all that was, all that could have been, all that will never be again. Instead of a string of glistening pearl days held together in a lovely life strand, my string of pearl days has more lumpy, oddly colored pearls than anything else. I have seen the image of a patchwork quilt used to describe lives such as mine. My life quilt has beauty, many different patterns of fabric, some pieces larger than others but there are some weak stitches, rips and holes, worn out places.
I am not complaining about my lumpy life, my lack of perfection. I celebrate it, wallow in it. I know that even though I am created by Perfect Love, I will never be perfect and that is fine by me. I am grateful for all the gifts that I have been given in my life and grateful for eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart for love. “Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.” James 2:17-18
So today I will live my bits and pieces day with gratitude and joy, remembering Sister Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet doing nothing but listening. And I will listen and look and feel God and Grace and Joy in my lumpy life this day.