Many Colors
Photo taken by Lisa Stenger.
Walking outside during the fall season, I naturally feel comforted and connected to the God who created me. The vibrant colors of the leaves touch my heart and fill my emotional bank with a sense of comfort, peace, and excitement.
As a child, my father would rake the leaves into gigantic piles, and we would jump into them, sending leaves flying everywhere after all his hard work. He didn’t seem to mind, though. The joy of seeing his children enjoy the moment, and then helping him with the piles after we jumped in, truly warmed a father’s heart.
This time of year has a profound effect on me spiritually. I yearn for a deeper connection with God. He reveals Himself to me and fills my heart simply by being present. There’s a special spark that typically ignites within me during the fall. The vibrant colors of the leaves, along with the stunning sunrises and sunsets, are truly magnificent. They remind me that there is no one like Him as He fills my heart with wonder. It reminds me that there is nothing He cannot do, for He is the Creator of all things!
From the beginning of creation, God has desired our presence and deemed us significant in His master design of all that exists. God intends for us to be with him and for him to be with us always.
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27 NIV)
Early in my childhood, I often heard from the pulpit, and particularly from a remarkable influence in my life, Sister Mariam, that I was chosen and that God desired me all to Himself. I was important to my Creator—important enough that He sacrificed His one and only Son, who was made perfect in His image, to be the Lamb so that I could choose to be with Him for eternity. Jesus loved me that much: He left this place so I could receive the gift of grace and have a place with Him always. It is in knowing this that I believe I am chosen and His special possession.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
Colors are associated with emotions and can reflect different characteristic personalities stemming from our core beliefs. Colors can also have an impactful role in our reactions. When I worked with a writing coach on my branding, identifying the colors I resonated with was an important part of the process. Those colors became representative of who I am and how I feel. It also exposed my passions from the heart for others. In my occupation, when creating flyers or communication pieces, I consider the audience and connect the colors to both the audience and the type of event. Colors can significantly impact our understanding of how others feel, think, and what drives them toward certain events and situations.
For example, when I describe my feelings while walking among the colorful trees in the fall, it illustrates how God's array of colors can evoke a wide range of emotions within us. These colors can connect us to the things He wants us to pursue, drawing us toward the transformation that His Spirit aims to accomplish within us. He can communicate with us through the colors that resonate with us.
What are we seeking through the colors we feel drawn to?
What does our attraction to specific colors reveal about our core character?
My reaction to hurt is to seek understanding. I struggle with trust because it has been broken in the past. My heart looks to God for justice in the situation. Ultimately, I aim for the spiritual well-being of the person who caused the hurt, as I believe they must be hurting to cause hurt. The colors I am drawn to are purple, blue, and green.
When people purposefully inflict hurt and pain upon you because they are hurting and don’t know how to get past their own pain and sinful ways, it can be hard to cope. The many colors of people's emotional state can cause distance between them and the grace waiting for them. Their colors can also tell you how they might respond emotionally, whether they’ve been negatively or positively influenced. What is in our hearts, and the outcomes we have learned from our experiences, can lead to a loving response or a hurtful one. What you put into your heart and what is in your heart is what comes out of it.
Knowing there is a God who lavishes me with His unconditional love helps me get through the circumstances. I aim to love everyone, whether they are friends or foes. Aligning my prayers with God’s will for love and grace toward all His children, in His strength, helps me persevere. He knows what is truly in your heart. You are lavished with His great love!
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1 NIV)
What do your favorite colors say about you?
For a fun exercise, try the following:
1. Look at the colored circles on the chart below. Don’t read anything yet.
Is there a specific color that you seem to like best?
Maybe you like two or three colors. What are they?
2. Once you have chosen your color(s), reflect on these questions:
a. How do the color(s) make you feel emotionally?
b. What word(s) listed in your color(s) do you connect with the most?
c. What word inspires or impacts you the most?
d. Among the words associated with your chosen color(s), which one do you think God has been encouraging
you to embrace or act upon to become more like Jesus?
PRAY
Take a moment to kneel and pray to the One who generously lavishes His love on you. Tell him what you are grateful for. Ask Him to reveal His will and the things He wants you to pay close attention to.
