We all pass things down to our children, one generation to the next, the good and the bad whether it is beautiful blue eyes or a stubborn streak. Donna Bradshaw of Lantana had a love of quilting passed down to her, from her grandmother, to her mother, and then to her. Like a twine ball gathering girth and strength as it gets larger, Bradshaw’s quilting passion has grown from the desire of having something to pass down to her own three children to a ministry called Pocket Prayers that has so far provided about 3,000 United States servicemen and women with a personal message and a bible verse sewn on a patriotic square of fabric that will fit easily into a pocket, a backpack, or a helmet.

     I had the good fortune to spend some time with Bradshaw this week, and it was quite a treat to hear her talk about her passion for quilting. Enthusiasm is contagious, and even though I’ve been known in my forties to ask my mother to hem a pair of pants, I left Starbucks thinking that maybe I, too, could quilt. Bradshaw, who moved with her husband Sid to Lantana about a year ago from San Clemente, California, brought her quilting supplies with her and began a Pocket Prayers ministry at their new church home, Chinn Chapel United Methodist. The seed money for the ministry came from Bradshaw’s cousin who wanted to honor her late husband’s memory, and now a group of about 16 are involved in an effort to quilt the little four inch squares of fabric that are passed out to service men and women to let them know they are never alone.

    Sometimes accompanied by her church friends, Bradshaw goes to DFW Airport and hands out the Pocket Prayers to troops that are either flying in or out of the airport.  “It’s very emotional,” she said. “They come through very quickly. You can pat them on the back, but their hands are full. They are loaded down, so we stick the Pocket Prayer in a pocket, or a backpack, or anywhere we can.” Looking back, Bradshaw said she began quilting about 25 years ago. “I tried different crafts, but none of them stuck until I tried quilting. I have my baby quilt that my mother made me, and I wanted my children to have something I made with love from my own hands.” Now, her three children certainly do have something she’s made with her own hands, and that is a love of quilting that’s turned into a ministry.

    She likes to share the love of her craft with others and says she isn’t above bribing people with chocolate if they will come sew with her. It takes lots of hands to make the Pocket Prayers. Some to stitch, some to iron, some to handwrite the Bible verses, and she is always looking for more hands to help. So whether you are a patriot, a quilter, or a lover of chocolate, Bradshaw invites you to get involved with Pocket Prayers. For more information, you can contact her at bradshaws_zoo@hotmail.com.

     It’s often said that faith is the belief in things unseen, but this week I feel sure I actually saw faith manifested in a tangible little four-inch square that someone can hold tight during the darkest part of the night. I am glad Bradshaw got to Texas as fast as she could.

    If you know someone that you’d like featured in this column, e-mail michelle@thenewsconnection.com.