I will share a secret that I don't tell everyone. I love to color in those so-called "adult coloring books". I can sit for hours coloring all sorts of things while my troubles seem to fade into the background. All I have to decide, in my coloring book, is what colors I want to fill in the lines of the multicolored cat or the bouquet of flowers. You see, I get to choose in my coloring book world. I don't always get to choose which colors show up in my life. What color is a cancer diagnosis? Grey, or maybe black, would be appropriate with this horrible disease. Does a layoff at your job have a color? Blue, maybe, but then again, life can seem darker in these situations. Will I ever be able to find another job at my age? How will I be able to provide for my family? Is the death of an adult child filled in with the darkest of your colored pencils? At first, definitely black. Though if, while alive, she loved Christ, the darkness doesn't have to be so dark. The thought of seeing her again is the hope that sustains us, sunshine yellow, maybe. Would a loving God give us only black to color our lives? Do we dutifully accept that freshly sharpened black addition and place it handy to grab among the blue bell, the sunshine yellow, or the green apple pencils?
I listened to a video that offered two ways to consider these things, and I found it to be true and comforting. Those who try to help say this is all part of God's plan, which somehow doesn't help, but to an aching heart, it can be a disappointment from a loving God. When we read all throughout the bible that he loves us and even sent his son to die for our sins, we still wonder why we must go through the pain. He does tell us we can have his peace as we join hands with him.
I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world! John 16:33 GNT
That, to me, means that I can and should keep my black colored pencil because life is not without trouble, some translations say sorrow, but look for sunshine yellow daffodils in his word, gaze into the bluebell colored sky as you look to him for peace, or enjoy the apple green tree leaves that flutter in the warm breeze, also provided by our gracious God. Stay in the lines and don't let the darkness spill into the beauty of all that our loving God has given us to enjoy. We are told to keep that dark pencil close because even Jesus cautions that we will have trouble in this world.
I have never seen a box of all black colored pencils, and I would never buy it anyway. So place your black pencil in a place you can get to, because even Jesus said we would have tribulation or troubles in this life. But take heart, the scripture says. Guess what? You can have peace in Jesus. Why? Because he has defeated the world that only brings suffering.
Oh, good! The scripture in the middle of my coloring page says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
I wonder what color "love" would be?
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