PARIS: SHE HAD A GLOW ABOUT HER

Final Paris Story Rope Post.  For Martha and I it was very late by now, but for the French, the night was young!  

One of our new friends stayed a little longer.

I was delighted to hear that she is from the country that inspired the art on my lap - I happened to bring it along on the trip.  

She had a glow about her.  How did she get to Paris? What was her family like? What was her story?  

Holding her rope and moving her hand from ribbon to ribbon, she told us her story.  Yes, indeed.  God was in her amazing story. Big hugs!  

She left soon after. In my concern for her safety riding the metro so late, I was told it was not an issue. The metro would be crowded with people, even now in the early hours of the new morning.  

After a little more clean-up, our host graciously walked Martha and I back to our hostel and we said good night. It had been a great evening of making new friends and building relationships around the coffee table - beginning with desserts and ending with stories. 

For all Paris Story Rope posts.

PARIS: JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME

By now it was very late. The evening was coming to a close and we had heard only one story. This happens. 

The elderly madame was getting ready to leave.  She had lived a long time. I wished I had heard her story. She had worked intently on her story rope. What was her story? I would not get to hear it.  

I sat with her a few minutes at the end. The madame spoke only French so with limited translation available, I told her I was so glad she came.  I gave her postcards of the quilts I had shown the group. The cards would be a token of thanks for coming and a remembrance of our evening together. 

I love hearing the stories of the elderly. They have lived through so much history. I still regret that I missed her story.
For all posts: Story Ropes in Paris.

PARIS: TONIGHT SHE WOULD SLEEP IN PEACE

That evening one of our new friends held up her finished story rope and excitedly started to tell her story BUT she began in the middle of her rope!  Now that she had everyone's attention, they stopped working on their ropes and encouraged her to begin at the beginning. She did and ended her story in tears.

Then with a big smile and sigh of relief, she said that she would be able to sleep that night for the first time in a very long time.  Not only did she tell her story but she recognized that God was with her on that long difficult life journey. The burden of keeping her story hidden for many years was lifted. Tonight she would sleep in peace.  All Paris StoryRope posts

It is a privilege to teach the story rope to women around the world and observe how God works through this simple hands-on process to bring about the beginning of healing. That was so evident in the story above.

PARIS: THOUGHTFUL • SLOW • DELIBERATE PROCESS

The women worked quietly around the coffee table • thinking about their stories• cutting a length of ribbon off the spool or picking up a button representing something or someone in their story • tying the ribbon or button on their length of fabric 'rope' • moving on to the next memory in their story. 

Making story ropes was a thoughtful, slow, deliberate process on this late Parisian evening.

PARIS: RIBBONS & BUTTONS ON THE COFFEE TABLE

Creating began around the coffee table.  What stories did those ribbons & buttons represent? This group represented different nationalities, each on a very different life path and somehow they all landed in Paris. It was getting late. Would there be time for their stories? to be continued. click for all 3 PARIS posts

PARIS: TELLING MY STORY

Fall 2012  continued from 1st post
After sharing several quilts, I brought out my StoryRope. With it I told my own story - very transparently - for that is key.

As I touched each ribbon, fabric strip and button, I shared what each represented:  • being raised in a volatile alcholic home • artistic talent • early depression • the importance of the ocean • becoming a Christ-follower • more depression • college art education major • marriage • children • more depression • a friend dying suddenly • going into a very long deep depression • and on... 

As I moved down the rope telling my story, Martha noticed how the women leaned forward, one shook her head-seeming to identify with my struggles.

I finished up with the very slow process of getting better and how God brought beauty out of ashes: I discovered art-quiltmaking - giving rise to a new purpose - taking me all over the world - sharing my art and story and helping others to find God in their dark, hopeless stories too and  teaching others how to do this.

At this point of the evening, our friend, the hostess, suggested they all make story ropes! Plates and cups were removed and out came fabric strips, ribbons and scissors. 
To be continued.......

PARIS: BEFORE GETTING OUT MY STORY ROPE

Fall 2012  Martha and I went to Paris to visit friends. I brought along art work and materials in case there were opportunities to share and create with their friends.  Opportunities happened - some in their apartment (photo at right).   One evening our hosts invited seven of their friends to their home for dessert, to meet us and see some art. There's Martha (top left) getting the yummy dessert table ready. After dessert I shared several quilts including Pathway to Healing (below) before getting out my story rope. To be continued.