Casandra Martin

When my children were babies, my mom made each of them two kinds of quilts for their rooms. The first was their crib blanket, but it is so much more to my kids. They call it their “Nana Blanket.” Even though they have outgrown their cribs, these Nana Blankets are infinitely precious to them. They have been everywhere with us. They have been washed a hundred times, thrown up on, and gotten wet with their tears. They have been used to chase away monsters, keep warm when chilled with fever, be a superhero, wrap baby dolls, and to pick them up when the world has gotten them down. They can wrap up into those Nana Blankets and feel warm, safe, loved, and 100% accepted because they know that when they are wrapped in their Nana Blankets, they are wrapped in their Nana’s love.

The other kind of quilt she made them is a wall-hanging quilt. They are beautiful. They used to hang by their beds and decorate their rooms. People would come in and “ooh” and “aah” over them. But they would get dusty. They cannot be played with or touched. Eventually, they were taken down and put away because they no longer looked “right” in a big kid’s room.

Which quilt do you think my kids treasure most? I don’t even have to ask. They love the soft, warm, not so pristine Nana Blankets. The wall hangings wait in storage. The Nana Blankets are still found on their beds.

I see Jesus in those quilts. Is Jesus your wall hanging or your Nana Blanket? Does He hang on a wall and decorate your life, but is never touched, gets rather dusty, and sometimes looks out of place? Or is He a little worn around the edges from being held so tight, loved on, laughed with, and soaked with tears? Make Jesus your Nana Blanket. It’s okay if you get sin sickness on Him. He can just wash it in His blood. He is able to dry away your tears. Most of all, when you wrap Him around you, you will be safe and loved and completely at home.