More From Mary Hunt Webb

I truly appreciate those who possess a talent for quilting since it is not one of my gifts. That’s why I had to write about this wonderful ministry.

While the ladies assemble each quilt, they don’t know who the recipients will be. The finished prayer quilts are stored in a closet ready for church members’ requests for people all over the country and in various parts of the world. I agreed with the director of this ministry when she said, “God is in the quilt closet.” Perhaps because of the isolation caused by the the pandemic, the accompanying photo shows the shelves full of quilts. However, there have been times in the past when requests for quilts flooded in so quickly that the shelves were only half full.

Signs on the shelves indicate categories of quilts such as baby, children’s, feminine, masculine, and military, to name a few. Sometimes people who request a quilt for someone else are able to choose an appropriate quilt because they know the recipient’s personality. I have done that three times. On one occasion, I stood before the shelves praying and asking the Lord to direct me to the proper quilt for a grieving cousin whom I had seen only three times in my life. Although we had stayed in touch by telephone, I didn’t know her preferences. Because she had grown up in a military family, I chose a slightly feminine one in shades of blue with red and white accents. Amazingly, she later told me that it fit her decor beautifully.

After a quilt is chosen, it is spread across the prayer rail in the church sanctuary on Sunday morning. A sign attached to each quilt briefly indicates the name and need of the person for whom the quilt is destined. As mentioned in today’s meditation, church members untie a bow and tie a knot in one of the lengths of yarn to indicate that they have prayed for the person receiving the quilt. The accompanying photo shows Pam Pollock, one of our church members, who agreed to let me photograph her while she prayed for the recipient of the quilt. The person who requests a quilt is usually responsible for sending it to the recipient, although I heard of one quilt that passed through several hands before reaching its destination. The first quilt I ever requested was for a young mother who was going through chemotherapy for cancer, and I delivered it to her personally. I felt a supernatural warmth as I held the quilt in my lap while my husband drove me to give it to her.

I had the opportunity to read some of the thank-you notes that quilt recipients have sent to the Prayer Quilt ministry, and they touched my heart. One woman confided that she carried hers to each of her kidney dialysis treatments. Another note came from a sailor in the navy and included a photo of him sitting beside his quilt on his bunk on board a ship. He said it helped dispel his loneliness while he was so far from home. Yet another note explained how a quilt comforted a young boy facing multiple surgeries. Several cancer patients reported that their prayer quilts helped them get through their chemotherapy treatments. Others described how their quilts comforted them following the deaths of loved ones. In summary, the prayer quilts travel where church members cannot go to provide a loving touch.

My husband and I pray that we can reflect the love of our Lord to others. Toward that end, we have a website. We welcome you to explore our postings on our “Webbsite” at http://www.maryhuntwebb.com/. You will find a photo of us there.