what holds us together

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
For everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things,
and by Him all things hold together.
He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that He might come to have
first place in everything.
For God was pleased to have
all His fullness dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile
everything to Himself
by making peace
through the blood of His cross—
whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Colossians 1:15-20

Yesterday evening, for the first time in almost a year, I picked up my Christmas quilt.  I have been thinking of it for about a week or so and wanted to get it out of its resting place and begin working on it again.  While I was sitting there trying to get the stitches to come out even, my grandma came to mind.  For years growing up, I watched her and my mom and my aunts quilt.  I laughed to myself that I should probably turn this wallhanging over to my aunt if I ever hope to finish it for a Christmas some day.
This morning, I found out that the very same day I picked up that quilting project, Grandma Miller went to sleep and has been unresponsive since then.  Seemingly resting peacefully, but the Dr.'s are saying it's a matter of days.
I do not think it was simply a coincidence that I was motivated that very day to pick up and continue to work on my quilt.  I have a wonderful memory of growing up with an awesome grandmother.  This quilt will forever hold her memory close.  It was time I carried on a family tradition...in her honor.
My quilting leaves much to be desired, but looking at those stitches holding the blocks together reminds me...
God goes before us and hems us in.
"You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me."  Psalm 139:5
 He inspires us.
"I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me."  Jeremiah 32:40
He holds us together.