Leave it to the (Quilt) Judge: A Devotional Thought

Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven... Luke 6:37

This week I had the opportunity to participate in my first quilt competition. I spent weeks finishing my quilts (three of them) and hours pouring over the rules to ensure I wasn't disqualified. I followed all the processes for submission and the day finally came when my quilts were judged. While I didn't win grand champion, I am very proud of my two blue ribbons and one red ribbon.

My proudest accomplishment, blue ribbon for my baby quilt.

I wouldn't want to be a judge for a quilt competition... This was small competition but, knowing what I do about all the hard work that goes into a quilt, I couldn't see how someone could choose the best one! They were all wonderful entries! To be a quilt judge you have to set aside your own feelings about color and composition, and look only for the best displays of technique. Speaking of technique... a quilt judge needs to know a bit about a lot of different techniques. An art quilt is composed very differently than a traditional piecework quilt and the techniques are just as different.

This experience of competition led me to look inward. As I looked at the grand champion winner, I set aside my own feelings of disappointment (I wanted to think my quilts were so much better) and look at what set that quilt apart... In setting aside my own judgement, I was able to find some things that I could improve in my own quilting. I was able to enjoy the spirit of the competition as well; we were all showcasing our work as quilters to the community.

Jesus calls us to refrain from judgement of others. He makes the statement, "Judge not, and you will not be judged..." Then continues with two stories, one about the blind leading the blind, and the other about removing a speck from someone else's eye when you have a log in your own. Both are very visual reminders of the follies of judging others. I'd like to add another visual... Judge the quilt and miss the masterpiece.

God has created us all as masterpieces, when we judge others we miss the beauty of their humanity. They are a sinful human being, JUST LIKE us! As I set aside my judgement of the other quilts and looked at their qualities, I saw beauty, and found enjoyment in the competition. As we set aside our quick judgements of others, we are blessed with understanding and peace. Let's leave the judging to God... and the quilt judge.

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