"One morning long ago in the quiet of the world, when there was less noise and more green..." -The Hobbit
Green. The color of growing things. Life. My favorite color with so many shades. I wear earthy green the most, yet I tend to decorate with sea foam green. Green must be God's favorite color as well since He uses it so much. He throws in reds, purples, yellows against a green/blue background. And for a moment, they take our breath away - the sound of admiring ooo's and ah's fill the air as we startle at the vibrant red of the hollyberry or the scarlet tanager. And for a while, we forget about green for it is too common... too ordinary.
Maybe that is why I identify with green. It is constant. Calming. Rooted. Providing a backdrop for the extraordinary. Unnoticed until absent. I like that. Gives me peace... makes me sigh... because green is everywhere providing home anywhere we go. That is the magic of green.
I have a short quote on my desk - it says "Be content with obscurity." Simple. To the point. Yet rages against my egocentric soul. I want to be noticed, praised, the best, famous... When I die, I want the world to know that I lived. Because if not, then what is the whole reason for even being here?
And then I found that quote in this section of the Bible -- "pursue things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ... See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life -- is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ... shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too -- the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ." - Colossians 3
Obscurity has a two part definition - the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unimportant. But it also means the quality of being difficult to understand. I don't think it is one or the other but both... To be obscure is to let our own glory be found in Christ -- to be about the things that He is about, to let his love shine out of us. And He never sought his own glory. This concept of being the background which allows another to be seen is so contrary to our nature - and it is difficult for our culture to understand.
Green. Inconspicuous. Allows red and purple and yellow to shine forth. Counter culture.
Find your glory in being green.
Green. The color of growing things. Life. My favorite color with so many shades. I wear earthy green the most, yet I tend to decorate with sea foam green. Green must be God's favorite color as well since He uses it so much. He throws in reds, purples, yellows against a green/blue background. And for a moment, they take our breath away - the sound of admiring ooo's and ah's fill the air as we startle at the vibrant red of the hollyberry or the scarlet tanager. And for a while, we forget about green for it is too common... too ordinary.
Maybe that is why I identify with green. It is constant. Calming. Rooted. Providing a backdrop for the extraordinary. Unnoticed until absent. I like that. Gives me peace... makes me sigh... because green is everywhere providing home anywhere we go. That is the magic of green.
I have a short quote on my desk - it says "Be content with obscurity." Simple. To the point. Yet rages against my egocentric soul. I want to be noticed, praised, the best, famous... When I die, I want the world to know that I lived. Because if not, then what is the whole reason for even being here?
And then I found that quote in this section of the Bible -- "pursue things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ... See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life -- is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ... shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too -- the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ." - Colossians 3
Obscurity has a two part definition - the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unimportant. But it also means the quality of being difficult to understand. I don't think it is one or the other but both... To be obscure is to let our own glory be found in Christ -- to be about the things that He is about, to let his love shine out of us. And He never sought his own glory. This concept of being the background which allows another to be seen is so contrary to our nature - and it is difficult for our culture to understand.
Green. Inconspicuous. Allows red and purple and yellow to shine forth. Counter culture.
Find your glory in being green.
Rebekah, this was beautiful and insightful....... Also loved your poem about the Monastery. Green has always been my favorite color too.
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