Remind me again why I wanted to do this project …

This is a post that has been in the works for a few weeks now. I just haven't seemed to find the time to sit down and get it written. My struggle to find the time to write somewhat parallels my struggle to finish this project. Here's a little bit of the story behind this project.

As with several of my other posts, this one features a Row by Row Experience project. The origins of this one date back to my family's 2016 vacation. Prior to that vacation, I reviewed the Row by Row Experience's website to identify participating shops that were located along our planned route (or not too far off the route). Fortunately, my husband was very accommodating to my plans. (The rows from that particular trip will be a topic for another post.)

The first quilt shop stop on our 2016 vacation was The Quilt Basket in York, Nebraska. What made this stop so memorable was that the shop stayed open after closing time so that I could come by to pick up one of their row kits. In 2016, their vertical row featured a raccoon eating corn in the cornfield. I would go on to sign up to be on the email list for this shop. 

Fast forward to June of 2017 when The Quilt Basket revealed the pattern for their "On the go" - themed row. My immediate thought was that it was very cute, and when I showed it to my husband he concurred. Since my summer travel plans didn't include Nebraska, I needed to wait until November when the Row by Row rules allow the shops to mail their patterns and kits.

When I opened the kit and took a closer look, I started to have second thoughts about the project. I quickly found that I hadn't given due consideration to the multiple small pieces that I would need to trace, fuse, cut out, and machine stitch. The picture below of a portion of the row provides some perspective. You can see the multiple individual pieces involved in the raccoon from his overalls to the white stripes on his tail and from his nose, hands, and feet to his mask and the triangles inside his ears.

Now, multiply some of those extra small pieces by four more raccoons, and you get the idea of some of the distinctions of this project. Also, take a look at the angles on the treads of the tractor tires. Machine blanket stitching around these pieces involved quite a bit of starting stopping, turning, and then starting, stopping, and turning some more. 

On more than one occasion, I found myself asking my husband, "Remind me again why I wanted to do this project?" His answer was invariably, "Because it's cute;" however, even though his answer did ring of truth, it wasn't necessarily the answer I was seeking at the time. 
In time, I would find myself working one step closer to completion. One evening, the task might be tracing, fusing, and cutting out all of the black pieces. Another night, the task might be to stitch down all of the cream-colored pieces.
While this project was proved to be more daunting than I anticipated, it was also one that I willingly undertook. In contrast, I've recently found myself in some seemingly daunting situations that have not been of my own choosing. These are the types of scenarios in which I am made acutely aware of my own limitations in my own strength and the absolute critical necessity of relying on God's strength. This reliance does not mean that the outcome will align with my perceived desire or that the journey will be an easy one. It simply means that the One who promises never to fail me nor forsake me will be with me. This promise that God made to Jacob when he was fleeing Esau is one that has been speaking to me in recent weeks:

And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15