The Gift of Color

When I take time to praise God for all He has blessed me with, I start with the things I need that He unfailingly provides for me and my family. And then I move on to the things that I don't need but He continuously lavishes on me. I love to gaze at beautiful landscapes and intricate details of creation and praise Him for the beauty He surrounds me with. You know, He didn't have to.

He could've made this whole world in black and white. Can you imagine being surrounded each day by shades of gray? Dark gray grass. Light gray sky. Really- pause and try to imagine it- I bet you can't. I know I truly can't. No lush green meadows dotted with bright yellow dandelions and buttercups. No neighbor's flower beds bright with gladiolus in every color of the rainbow. No vibrant leaves blanketing the rolling hills each fall.

Instead, our creative and loving God chose to make His world unbelievably beautiful, decorated in more shades and hues than our finite minds can comprehend. He sculpted purple mountain majesties, and formed amber waves of grain. He mixed the emerald oceans and scattered smooth taupe sands in the deserts. He attached fragile, elaborately decorated wings to butterflies' backs, and then tossed flowers of every shape, size, and color imaginable onto hillsides and even hid some deep in the crevices of jagged rocks.

And all of this beauty was made with us in mind. God created man, and then instructed us to enjoy His bountiful creation. He blesses us beyond anything we could even imagine and daily loads us with much more than we deserve. Each detail of His creation points to Him alone, and the purpose of this world and all of its beauty is to teach us about Him. When I see the gorgeous colors He has created, it reminds me that God is a creative, artistic God. He doesn't just give us the essentials that we need for everyday life, but instead lavishes numerous blessings on us, in order for us to enjoy them abundantly.


This post was written for Scribbit's September Write Away Contest.

First Kiss

Dearest Z,

The first time I kissed you, I was exhausted. I was sweaty. I was in pain. You were red, and screaming, and covered in nastiness. You were wrapped in a blanket, and the nurse lifted you to my face so that I could meet you and kiss you before you had to get dried off.

We have a video of this momentous first kiss. However, it's not 'share-able' because in the background you can very nearly see my doctor and several nurses working diligently to repair the damage to my baby-delivering region. But I enjoy watching it over and over and just remembering that amazing moment. As the nurse brought you to my sweaty, tear-filled face, I kissed your forehead and said in a wobbly voice, as the nurse began to lift you away, "Oh, Zachary, I love you so much". And I do.

I have kissed you hundreds of times in the eight months since that video was taken. And each time, I drink in the scent of your baby shampoo and nuzzle my nose in your silky white-blond hair and the soft smooth skin of your neck, and I thank God that He entrusted you to us. And that He allows me to have the privelege of being your mommy each day. What a blessing you are to us, little Z! Your daddy and I are so thankful for you, and we love you so much!

Love,

Mommy :)

This post was written for Scribbit's August contest entitled 'First Kiss'.