Artisans can reclaim exquisite beauty from the broken, frayed, and hopefully shattered—perhaps once thought beyond repair. But what about us? What of the wounds that keep us from living the life we want to live? In Tattered and Mended , readers walk through a gallery of reclaimed and restored art as well as broken and restored lives of those who have gone before us. With a gentle touch and personable wisdom, Cynthia Ruchti shows how even the most threadbare soul can once again find healing and hope. Jesus takes our ragged edges and missing pieces and mends us into something both whole and beautiful. Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope. She’s the award-winning author of 16 books and a frequent speaker for women’s ministry events. She serves as the Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers, where she helps retailers, libraries, and book clubs connect with the authors and books they love. She lives with her husband in Central Wisconsin. Visit her online at CynthiaRuchti.com. Tattered and Mended The Art of Healing the Wounded Soul By Cynthia Ruchti Abingdon Press Copyright © 2015 Cynthia Ruchti All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4267-8769-0 Contents "Introduction", "Chapter One" The Art of Mending the Soul, "Chapter Two" Sashiko and Boro Rescue: Elegance from the Tattered, "Chapter Three" Quilt Reconstruction: An Artful Mend, "Chapter Four" Metal Recycling: From Dumpster to Gallery, "Chapter Five" Tapestry Restoration: Beauty in the Ragged, "Chapter Six" Fine Art Reclamation: A Meticulous Mend, "Chapter Seven" Needlework Repair: Recaptured Wholeness, "Chapter Eight" Stained Glass Recovery: Starting Out Shattered, "Chapter Nine" Antique Doll Redemption: The Designer's Touch, "Chapter Ten" Broken Furniture Refurbishing: Pre-Art, "Chapter Eleven" Jewelry Regeneration: Unfixable but Mendable, Beyond the End:, As You Mend, "Mending Prayers", "Stretching to Mend", "With Deepest Gratitude", "Notes", CHAPTER 1 THE ART OF MENDING THE SOUL People are tattered. Some say, "Then let's make tattered fashionable." But God invites us to mend. HE WOKE THAT BLEACHED-OUT MORNING WITH the taste of dust in his mouth. Sleeping on the ground will do that to a person. He pushed himself to a sitting position and only rubbed the sleep from his eyes because the crusty bits hurt, not because they interfered with his line of sight. The sound of movement beside him pressed him to reach for the water bottle he'd used as a pillow in the night. It was gone. He tapped the ground in an arc far wider than the distance where it had lain. Some street kid thought it was funny to swipe the homeless guy's water supply. Nice. The man drew the ragged edges of his coat tight around him, a ridiculously inadequate protection. But it was all he had. The sun on his face felt warmest at chin-level. Not much past dawn. He stood, the ache in his bones more familiar and pronounced every day. With his hand pressed against the stone wall that had been at his back through the night, he felt his way to the corner and waited, ears attentive. He crossed the cobbled street, arms extended, head bent. Another stone wall greeted his outstretched hands. He followed it to its end, the stubbled grasses now underfoot. If he kept one sandal on dirt and the other on stubble, he could walk a straight line to the spot where the air on his face cooled slightly. Under the shade of the olive tree, he'd spend his day wrestling with himself. If a beggar didn't look pathetic,who would notice him? If he did, how could he retain any thread of dignity? He could have made something of his life ... if he weren't blind. That may not be how morning started for Bartimaeus, as the gospel story recounts. But it might not be far from the truth. We have so many unanswered questions from his story told by Mark in the Bible. Jesus and his followers came into Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho, together with his disciples and a sizable crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, Timaeus' son, was sitting beside the road. When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy!" Many scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, show me mercy!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him forward." They called the blind man, "Be encouraged! Get up! He's calling you." Throwing his coat to the side, he jumped up and came to Jesus. Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said, "Teacher, I want to see." Jesus said, "Go, your faith has healed you." At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus on the way. (Mark 10:46-52) So many unanswered questions. What was daily life like for Bartimaeus before that moment? Did he eat dust for breakfast? Where were his friends? What besides his coat did he leave behind when he followed Jesus? What future might he have had once he regained his sight? And how would that have looked