The Acorn of Faith
Little Acorns, Old Quilts, and an Autumn Supper
It all started with a pocketful of acorns.
My four-year-old granddaughter recently discovered one of autumn’s simplest pleasures—gathering acorns. Now, to a grown-up, an acorn might not seem like much. But to a curious little girl, those tiny treasures scattered beneath the oak trees were just waiting to be discovered.
And what better place to keep such wonderful treasures than the pockets of her jumper?
Of course, she hadn’t considered what might happen when her mom gathered up the laundry. I can only imagine her surprise when those little acorns came tumbling out in the bottom of the washing machine!
Isn’t it funny how some of our sweetest family memories begin with the simplest things?
A little girl gathering acorns, a mama discovering them in the wash, and a story that will likely be told and retold around the family table for years to come.
But those little acorns got me thinking.
Something so small, so ordinary, and so easily overlooked holds within it the promise of something mighty. Given the right conditions, a tiny acorn can grow into an oak tree that stands for generations, offering shade, shelter, and beauty to those who come after us.
And isn’t that a lovely picture of faith?
Jesus spoke of faith as small as a mustard seed in Matthew 17:20, reminding us that what seems small in our eyes can become something extraordinary through God’s power.
Sometimes faith begins with the smallest things—a whispered prayer, a simple act of kindness, a seed of hope planted in a difficult season.
And sometimes, a little lesson in faith begins with a four-year-old and a pocketful of acorns.
From Little Acorns to an Autumn Table
Those acorns also had me thinking about another little autumn project I’d been working on.
Recently, I purchased an old cutter quilt covered in a beautiful fall leaf design in shades of brown and blue. Although parts of the quilt were too worn to save, I could still see so many possibilities in the pieces that remained.
And you know how I am about an old quilt. I just can’t bear to see something so lovely go to waste! There is something about an old quilt that speaks to my heart. Maybe it’s the colors, the worn fabric, or the thought of all the hands that have touched it through the years. Every quilt has a story, and sometimes we get the privilege of adding another chapter.
I decided to see how many beautiful and useful things I could create from the good pieces.
The largest pieces became a table runner and a big, soft quilt bow, perfect for dressing up a simple fall wreath. Smaller sections were cut into individual quilt blocks and turned into little autumn sachetsm, tagged gathered and stitched. Some were simply too pretty to tuck away, so I used them as decorative accents around the house and on the table.
What once seemed worn out and past its usefulness had found a new purpose. And before long, that old quilt had inspired an entire autumn supper.
Setting the Table for an Autumn Supper
The quilted table runner became the inspiration for a simple farmhouse supper.
I spread it across an old wooden table that once belonged to the grandmother of one of my friends. I love that connection. An old quilt resting on an old family table, both carrying stories from another time.
There was no need for anything fancy.
I gathered a collection of brown and white restaurant ware, the kind of sturdy old dishes that have served countless meals and still look beautiful on a table. Rustic burlap napkins were tucked into carved brown napkin rings.
For the centerpiece, I grouped several old crocks together and filled them with fall leaves. Their warm autumn colors were just enough to bring the outdoors inside without taking away from the beauty of the quilt.
And, of course, there was a large ironstone soup tureen waiting to be filled.
It was the kind of table that invites folks to sit down, pull up a chair, and stay awhile.
A Simple Farmhouse Supper
I wanted the menu to be as comfortable and unpretentious as the table itself.
We enjoyed a simple supper of homemade soup and bread, with plenty of sweet iced tea.
For dessert, I served my special bread pudding, one of those old-fashioned recipes that never seems to go out of style.
And to make dessert just a little more special, I offered everyone a cup of café au lait made with Community Southern Pecan Praline Coffee.
That warm, nutty praline flavor paired beautifully with the bread pudding.
Sometimes the simplest meals are the ones we remember most.
The Acorn of Faith
As I worked with that old quilt, I kept thinking about how God can take what seems small, worn, or overlooked and make something beautiful from it.
A tiny acorn doesn’t look like much when it falls to the ground. Yet within that little seed is the possibility of a mighty oak.
Faith is much the same.
We don’t always see what God is doing in the ordinary moments of our lives. Sometimes we’re simply using what we’ve been given, doing the work in front of us, and trusting Him with what comes next.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 17:20 that even faith as small as a mustard seed can accomplish great things.
Perhaps that’s part of the lesson in an old quilt, too. Something doesn’t have to be new or perfect to have value. Sometimes its greatest beauty comes from the life it has already lived and the new purpose it is given.
A Little Porch Wisdom
As autumn settles in and the days grow shorter, I’m reminded that hospitality doesn’t have to be elaborate to be meaningful.
A pot of soup, a loaf of bread, an old quilt, and a few friends gathered around the table can be more than enough.
Use what you have. Treasure what has been handed down. Find beauty in the imperfect. And never underestimate what God can do with the smallest beginning.
After all, from little acorns, mighty oaks grow.
“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed … nothing shall be impossible unto you.” — Matthew 17:20 (KJV)
Where friends linger and memories grow.
