Out of Words?

 

I didn't put up a post last week. It was the first time in almost three years that I didn't post ANYTHING. That fact made me sad. I don't like it when a winning streak is broken. I tried, really I did, but I wasn't inspired by anything. Day after day I sat here, trying to think of something to write about, and came up with nothing. I didn't do a craft project, either  - actually I worked on some quilt tops but didn't finish any - so I didn't have anything to take a picture of. And since I haven't done much editing and had nothing ready to share from my writing projects, I didn't do my Sweet Saturday post.

It's not as if nothing at all happened in my life. I keep fairly busy, and so do the people around me. There's always a story in the paper that piques my interest. But nothing inspired me to write. I didn't add much to any of my writing projects, and I didn't write a blog post. I was – out of words.

This week, I went to my quilting group at church, and we had a special guest speaker. Carol Peters talked about Margaret's Hope Chest, a charity founded by her daughter, Caryn Vogelzang, after Carol's mother was mugged in a parking lot after buying groceries. Margaret was a quilter and her granddaughter was inspired to create the charity, making quilts for those who needed hope for whatever reason. They've given them to people who are suffering from tragedy, from economic troubles, or health problems. They've gone to children who are homeless at Christmas time. But the very first quilt went to the mother of one of the girls who killed Margaret. Carol spoke for almost a full hour about the journey their family took in the creation and development of Margaret's Hope Chest, but her audience sat, entranced. We were inspired. You will be too, when you read their story at their website. I was so inspired I went home, opened my laptop, and wrote.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that my inspiration comes from people who motivate others through their actions. In this case it came from two women have made enormous strides by listening to The Call. They are not sitting back, waiting for things to happen. Carol and Caryn are strong women of faith, the kind of women I like to read and write about. And now I have an idea for a story. So I guess I'd better get to work…

Carol Peters, of Margaret's Hope Chest