The Colors You Give Away

Psalm 19:14

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

One of the first prayer shawls I made came from a collection of leftover balls of yarn in army camouflage colors.  I ran out of this yarn before the shawl was big enough, so I finished the last three rows in black.  It matched.  My mother told me it was hideous, and she was right.  I cannibalized the shawl.  The black yarn became fringe on a serape.  The camouflage yarn became baby booties for the Teen Parent Centers.

We have Yarn Angels at my church who religiously scour every garage sale and bring my Prayer Shawl Ministry boxes of yarn.  I love them dearly and am so grateful for their generosity.  Sometimes however, inside the boxes are yarns of colors that will never be put to good use -- for good reason: they are dreadful.

Each color has its own spiritual meaning.  On a color wheel, each color has its own partners and adversaries.  Advertisers, clothes designers, and psychologists know this.  Primary colors (pure red, yellow, and blue) recall childhood innocence.  Gray, blue, and black blend well and give the viewer a sense of security.  Neon colors are meant to be glaring.  White represents purity just as black alludes to death. When I'm excited, I wear reds, oranges, and yellows.  When I feel depressed, I tend to be attracted to dark colors.  When I feel healthy, I choose earthy colors.  When I feel calm, I surround myself in peaceful blues.

The recipients of my shawls will wear the colors I choose for them.  I think about what I want to wrap them in: death or serenity, security or despair, jazziness or innocence.

The recipients of my words and actions should be treated the same way.  I try to choose my words and actions as carefully as I choose my yarn.  They are what my listeners and observers will take away with them.

Dear Father, let the words that I say, the actions I take, and the works I do leave the people around me surrounded by Your grace and Your joy and Your hope.  Amen.