The fabric of our family;
slowly woven by the Master Weaver
upon the warp and woof of each day.
Just two colors in the beginning—
Steve’s blue, and my yellow–
our favorite colors.
Then came the addition of three children
with threads of
energizing orange
as they romped through the house,
invigorating green
as they quickly progressed
through the stages of development,
and excitable red
as arguments erupted!
But calm colors were also interwoven
among the bright:
soft gray for security,
rich brown for stability,
and luminous white for the Light
of Jesus, our Savior.
Threads of respect and responsibility
appeared throughout;
Challenge and trouble,
hopes and dreams, too.
Each thread faith-strengthened
And reinforced with love.
Not easily rended,
but repaired here and there with forgiveness,
embellished with the embroidery of laughter,
and scattered with a patchwork of
familiar, soft-hued memories.
As Mother’s Day approaches
I celebrate
the fabric of family
that is fabulously, uniquely ours.
And I thank God that
“He gives the childless woman a family,
making her a happy mother.
Praise the LORD!”
(Psalm 113:9, NLT)
(Tapestry art credit: www.etsy.com.)
From the Inside Out 
Nancy, that is absolutely beautiful–weaving, what an awesome metaphor!
Isn’t it fun to see the same theme take different directions? Thank you for stopping by, Jody, and for your encouragement.
Beautiful Nancy and so well done! Enjoyed the family journey and especially Steve’s bow tie.(kidding) Very Nice. Love and Blessings, Janet
Yes, that bow tie is quite the fashion statement, isn’t it? So glad you enjoyed the family journey!
Love these photos and the words you added. beautiful!!
Thank you, Jean. Forty years in one post!
LOVE THIS SO MUCH – thanks for the photo journey and the beautiful words to go with it. Lovely, lovely.
Thank you, Diana. So glad you enjoyed the post. God gave me the “fabric” idea; my fun, loving family made the rest relatively easy to compose. We’re not perfect, but a bit of grace and understanding cover the rough spots!
Thank you, Nancy. Loved seeing the pictures of your/my family. Your blog led me to reflect on the “fabric of family.” You are a soft, cheery pink in my memory.
A-w-w. Thank you, Nikki. If I were to choose a color for you, it would be a soft, cheery yellow. You are full of SON-shine, and you’re always smiling! Love you, sweet cousin!
crying now … thanks for this beautiful reminder, dearest Nancy!
I didn’t mean to make you cry, Heidi! I hope they were happy tears, thinking about the fabric of your family.
all happy tears 🙂
Oh, good!
Thank you Nancy. Great pictures and each memory you share makes me think of one of mine. Isn’t it wonderful that God not only weaves the fabric within our families but also weaves fabrics within friendships. Happy Mothers Day friend.
Beautifully said, Paulette! Indeed, the fabric of friends, woven in and out through the years, is another metaphor worth contemplating. Might have to store that idea away for another post sometime! Happy Mother’s Day to you, also, Paulette. I am VERY honored that you call me friend, and to call you FRIEND as well!
I so enjoyed seeing these photos, Nancy! Especially the first one…obviously early on in your journey through this life together. I was privileged to be there at the beginning on your wedding day…and even before that as we forged a friendship at Taylor. And as time passed we kept in touch,,,as a friendship based on Christ’s love is bound to do. I so appreciate this blog of yours as it keeps us in constant touch. The ‘Fabric of Family’ was inspired…weaving the colors together representing different aspects of a Christ-centered family life. Happy Belated Mother’s Day! (By the way, I’ll take purple for myself in honor of the King of Kings, my blessed Saviour.)
You are one of a handful who remember Steve and me way-back-when!! It’s one of the delights of my life that we’ve stayed in touch all these years. Still looking forward to lunch at Polaris!
Me, too, Nancy! We’ll make this work somehow! Looking forward to seeing you, too!
What a beautiful way to illustrate the way God puts a family together. Grandchildren add colors and bumpy blessings, too. Praise to the Master Weaver.
I like your idea of bumpy blessings–a wonderful addition to any family! Thank you, Rita!
Beautiful, Nancy, and I love the photos. Happy belated Mother’s Day to you.
Thank you, Grace! I hope you had a restful, joy-filled Mother’s Day, too!