Hiram implored me to try to remember what it is like to be a student again: stressed about assignments, deadlines, and finals. He's been very busy with work, internships, and classes. I have no responsibilities.
I'm going to be honest. It's been hard. There is cleaning and organizing to do, but it's not the most fun to do when your house is about 90 degrees, so I can only do it with glee in the wee hours of the morning. When it's not those wee hours, I've sat around wishing I had a friend available to talk to.
I had a mini revelation on Sunday during Relief Society. The lesson was titled, "I Seek Not My Own Will, but the Will of the Father", which I strongly encourage reading. During the lesson, another woman referred to Elder Stanley G. Ellis's talk from this most recent general conference, "The Lord's Way" (also a good read). She specifically talked about the question, "Where are we needed?" and how often we do not ask, "Where can we help?" but instead ask the Lord to fit our will.
Humbled, I realized that I had been asking, "Can you send me a friend?" instead of "Who needs a friend?"
This perspective change has altered how I feel when I am alone. I feel blessed to have been given all of this free time, so that I can be available as a friend to others. I recently learned of two different sisters whose unique circumstances produce more loneliness than I can imagine feeling right now. I look forward to being an instrument in His hands, in whatever way he needs me. I'm free to do so!
Last night, I joined one of these sisters for a craft night. I had realized that we have NO patriotic decorations for Independence Day. I found the following instructions for a "no sew fabric wreath". Inspired, I adapted a bit of her instructions and created the following!
Instructions:
What you'll need: Hot glue gun, scraps of fabric, scissors, ribbon, and a frame.
1. Cut out pieces of fabric in the colors you desire (I did all of my scraps that have red, white, and blue) that are about 3/4 - 1" thick, and 2-3" long. The number of scraps you need depends on how big your wreath is going to be.
2. Fold the fabric over on itself, making a little triangle corner.
3. Hot-glue your triangle on your frame. I cut mine out of a Honey-Nut Cheerios cereal box, but you can use something more sturdy. It was all I had.
Alternate the way the point is facing for each glued piece (shown below). This way you can see each piece of fabric. You want to start with one triangle, and then glue the next piece on top of that (making sure it's facing the other direction). I started in the top center of the heart, and worked outward from there.
Note, sometimes extra fabric hangs over. I simply glued these to the back of the heart-shaped frame, which made it more secure anyway.
4. After you do one side, start again in the top center, and alternate the triangles again! When you're done, you can attach ribbon to hang it by. I simply hot-glued it to the back of the wreath, although I do want to change where I placed the ribbon as it'd kind of bending the wreath (see the top photo).
Later Edit: I did change the ribbon to the center, and now it hangs beautifully and straight!
Voila! Decorations for Independence Day!
This took hardly any time at all-- the hardest part was making sure that I didn't hot glue my fingers.
More importantly, what do you do to serve those in need around you? I'd love ideas!
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