Color Me Happy

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”- Ecclesiastes 3:1

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Now that may surprise some who assume that every Christian must choose Christmas or Easter to be at the top of their list. I love so many things about that last Thursday of November: the food is fantastic; relaxing at home/spending time with family is refreshing; a good football game is fun to watch; and my birthday usually falls on that week (sometimes on Thanksgiving Day). But another thing I love about this holiday time is the AUTUMN COLORS. I love to see the oranges, browns, and reds all around!

Colors are an amazing gift providing vibrancy, imagery, and creativity to our lives. We use colors to express a mood/feeling. Favorite colors help when decorating our homes and choosing outfits to wear. Colors can be integral when painting/drawing, buying a car, or even choosing a favorite sports team. Above all this, the colors I love to meditate on come from the masterpiece artistry of God’s Creative Work. In Psalm 19:1 David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” In California we may not get the full array of fall colors, like our brethren on the East Coast, but we are gifted with breathtaking beaches, sunset skies, rows of palm trees, and mountain ranges.

The colors most associated with fall revolve around the beautiful changing of leaves. This kaleidoscope of transformation signals the reality of change, progression, and new beginnings. Trees and leaves are a reminder that endings are necessary for the entering of the new. The beautiful oranges, burnt reds, and browns of leaves means those leaves are dying, but this moment is not to be marked by sadness, because there is a miracle happening not a story ending. The fallen leaves make room for the tree to bring forth a fresh blossoming into the world. I love what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!” God’s colorful cycle in creation speaks brilliantly to His constant faithfulness and new life in each season.

Perhaps 2021 has been a difficult year in your life. Maybe the holiday season is one you wish to fast forward past rather than remember a painful event, heartbreaking loss, or feeling of loneliness. You may be feeling overwhelmed or disheartened by a present circumstance. May the colors of Thanksgiving this fall season be a reminder that the new is coming, that God gives abundantly, and that there is a reason to rejoice in His creative genius and constant goodness.