Blowing In the Wind . . .

In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to start making prayer flags.  You can find all kinds of examples and information about prayer flags on line, but my interpretation is that each flag represents a specific prayer.  The flags are flown outside so the breeze (symbolically) carries the prayer to Heaven.  They are an expression of gratitude, praise or a request, and their presence is a reminder to pray.  

There are no rules for creating a flag.  If you look on Pinterest or a Google image search, the variations are as individual as they people who create them, and that's what makes me love them so much.  A flag can be as simple as words written on fabric, or as complex as a pieced quilt.  They can fly for one day to mark prayers for a special occasion, or for weeks, months, even years for an ongoing concern. 

The meaning behind a prayer flag can, obviously, be very personal, so many of them are more symbolic than literal.  This is probably the most creative thing I've ever tried because it's a total blank canvas - no instructions, no pattern, no tutorial - and I loved the freedom to express my thoughts with no boundaries.   My flag is based on words and images from Psalm 91.  Here is what I created:

The "stone wall" background was stamped onto off-white cotton with craft paint and a potato stamp.  The hands were traced onto another piece of cotton with a fabric marker, then the edges frayed.  I found the outline of the shield and dove on-line and traced them onto my fabrics, then I cut the heart and cross free-hand.  All the pieces were machine appliqued onto the flag.  Then I just stitched down the upper edge to form a casing and my flag was complete.

Prayer flags are most often flown along rooflines or strung between trees.  As I get more flags made, I plan to display mine across my front porch, but Dave is going to have to rig some sort of rod to hold them that is sturdy enough to hold up in the wind, but easy to take down to add/remove flags.  Since the weather was cold and wet yesterday (as you can tell from the muddy dog-prints on the porch) I settled for a quick fix and hung my flag from the porch railing with a short bungee cord.

So often, circumstances are beyond our control and we say "all I can do is pray".  Even though it is the greatest thing we can do, it can feel like it's not enough.  We need to be doing something, to be active -and prayer flags provide that outlet.  I prayed as I designed and created this flag.  It actually felt like I was stitching my prayers into the fabric - it gave me something concrete to do and a tangible reminder to "pray continually".