I am another year older today, and I am so grateful for all the blessings from God. This morning I attended the first session of a Bible study, “Living Victoriously through Difficult Times.” The study has already reminded me how our time here on earth is not meant to be easy nor is it meant to be eternal. The leader today at church shared how we are either in the middle of a difficult time, coming out of a difficult time, or walking into a difficult time.
This evening, my mother sent me photographs of my grandmother, who also has a September birthday, and messages of my mother reminding me how much I am like my grandmother. One of my first difficult times was as a middle schooler experiencing my first loss. My grandmother passed, and I remember being heartbroken and saying how things never last.
Loss is difficult and painful. Twenty-two years have passed since I was in her presence. The memories have faded, but the feelings have remained. It’s so interesting how a penny on the ground, a woman in Target telling her daughter to sit right in Spanish, a needle and thread, or a simple photograph from the 1950’s can bring back all those feelings.
Growing up, my sisters and I always played sports, and my grandmother would tell me that I needed to learn to play the piano instead or even learn to sew. I recall my grandmother sharing about her time living in New York as she was sewing and probably during her Soap Opera commercials.
Today I shared about my dream for The Hometown Label and how long I have been sitting still waiting for the right time to be committed. These photographs, that I have never seen until today, represent all those seeds my grandmother was sowing all those years ago. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to reap those gifts today. As I was planning for The Hometown Label, I did not recall any memories of my grandmother making dresses nor sewing, but I do believe her inspiration and impact she had on me all those years ago factored into this desire for me to pursue this venture.
We often are so close to the pain, we don’t foresee the outcomes on the horizon in God’s plan and timing. With many things in this life, there are plenty of times we find ourselves in those difficult times. May we all remember that we are able to reap blessings after all the sowing is complete.
—Bridget