We recently visited a nursing home in our area and gave out lap quilts that my family and mom’s church made. I can’t tell you how rewarding this was to see the faces of the individuals light up. I felt so blessed to be able to give something away that was made with so much love and so much care.

In this moment, I truly realized how much handmade items are really appreciated. It was just like each lap quilt was made uniquely for that individual. You can truly tell when God is in something. Each of their faces lit up with excitement as each lap quilt was given to them.

One lap quilt was made by a lady who, at the time she was making it, made it with the sole purpose to give it away to her male cousin who was in the nursing home. The lady who made the quilt was on the other side of the nursing home, giving items out while we gave out the quilt she made to a gentleman in a wheelchair, not knowing who this man was we gave the quilt to.

Several minutes later, the lady who made the quilt came over to where we were, and screamed with excitement. She said “This was the quilt I made that I was going to give to my cousin.” She said that she forgot to take it out of the box of quilts before the group started passing out the lap quilts.

We thought we did something wrong by giving this gentleman this particular lap quilt. But she went on to say that “This gentleman is my cousin.” The quilt that she made for him that she forgot to take out of the box, in the end, the quilt got to the rightful recipient. Wow…God truly arranges things to work out as he plans things to go.

Mom and her women’s group at her church

Lap Quilts

Mom, Me, Unna, Susan, Maslyn, and a resident at the nursing home

Me giving out a lap quilt to a resident

Susan and her cousin with the lap quilt she made for him

For more information about what we do, please feel free to visit our website at safeharborim.com and our online Esty store at From Mama’s Garden.

By Marquetta Smith