The Award

Last year I suddenly realize something was missing in my life. An award. I’d never gotten an award for anything. My husband has three work related plaques, and several sports trophies. My children, except for the baby, all have at least one trophy for being on some kind of a winning athletic team. Some of the kids also have certificates of merit for school subjects that we framed and put on their bedroom walls. I have nothing. That had to change.

My husband laughed when I asked him for a plague saying I was an excellent housekeeper. Maybe it wasn’t exactly true, but who was going to actually read it anyway. My boss frowned at the idea of an “Employee of the Month” Plaque. Plaques aren’t in the company budget,” was his gruff response to my request.

I almost gave up on trying toget an award until the citywide sewing guild I belonged to held a sewing contest in conjunction with their annual luncheon. One of the categories of the contest was “most creative use of fabric.” If you entered, you were given a piece of fabric; and your imagination was supposed to takeover.

I entered and then I prayed. I was a good sewer, but so was everyone else in this sewing guild. I was going to need God’s inspiration in order to win anything in this competition. I used my new sewing machine’s very fancy stitches, and its ability to do lovely embroidery, to create a totally useful, clever, and attractive sewing apron. (My choice of adjectives) Because I usually misplace notions when I’m sewing, it had pockets for everything: pattern pieces, glasses, ripper, and more. Across the bib front, on which a pincushion was sewn, I machine embroidered, “This Sewer Knows Where It’s At.” Clever, huh? On the bottom edge, I sewed a tape measure. My apron was reversible and on the back I embroidered cute sewing sayings like “Sewers Keep Us In Stitches,” and “Someday I Will Use All My Material.” I also designed a border area to showcase all the stitches my machine could do. My project was hard work and it took a long time, but it turned out great. I was hopeful. Please let me win God, I prayed.

My apron won! First place no less. I was given a large beautiful blue ribbon that had, “First Place Creative Use of Fabric, the year, and my name embroidered on it. I got up in front of several hundred ladies at the guild luncheon and made a little speech about how I couldn’t have done it without God’s help. The ribbon now hangs on the wall in the hall next to my husband’s trophies. Everyone who comes into our house sees it. Of course I don’t tell them that two days after the luncheon I found out I was the only one who entered a sewing project into the “Creative Use of Fabric” category. Personally, I like to think of my solo entry as the power of prayer.