Patriotic Patchwork Prayer

This is a story about an apron and a prayer. If you don't mind, I'd like to tell you about it.

I was looking for another fabric entirely. But this morning as I dug through my material bin, I came across strips of patriotic cloth I've been hoarding for a quilt. As the roll of fabric unfurled, I thought of a flag. Of the stripes on a flag. And in moments, without even thinking, I was at the sewing machine stitching strips into fabric.


As I sewed I began thinking about all the women who are missing someone this Christmas. I thought of all the wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, girlfriends and friends that have a loved one overseas. I thought about the women with heavy hearts who pray - every moment - for a soldier or sailor or Marine. Who pray that he'll be safe... that she'll be well... that he'll come home quickly. Please, come home quickly.

So I began praying, too. As I stitched I prayed for families who are apart this Christmas. I prayed for ones who will wake up Christmas morning without the one they love. And I prayed for the woman who will one day wear this apron. I prayed that, whoever she is, she'll be comforted and blessed whenever she ties on the apron's red, white and blue strings.

And as I prayed, I remembered. I remembered a story I heard about a Grandmother who quilted for her grandchildren. Before she sewed up each quilt, the Grandmother would pencil a prayer onto a slip of paper and quilt it inside the blanket's layers. So I followed that precious Grandmother's lead. I wrote a simple prayer for a patriotic woman I don't even know and her loved one who's so far away. I wrote my prayer and stitched it safely inside. Then I ironed the apron and pinned on its flower.

I hope this apron, which will hit the Freeman House Shop this afternoon, has wings. I hope it and its prayer eventually fly into the life of a loving and hopeful woman somewhere.

And if it's you... if you're reading... my prayers and hopes are with you this Christmas.

May our never-failing God bless our military and its precious families. -Brin

(Update: the apron has sold, but judging by the email response to this post, I may do another Patriotic Prayer Apron. And to all you who've written, I'm overwhelmingly touched by your notes and stories, and pledge to keep each of you in my prayers this season. Especially you boys in Afghanistan and Iraq. You do us proud. Thank you.)