Color Time

Kristine Cucinotta Murphy

Even the best preacher needs preached to, it’s called accountability aka reprove. Everyone needs to learn discipline, get determined to stick to it and that’s not an easy thing to do and keep doing. But, we must, we can’t let who we were beat us and keep is from who God is making us. Discipline is the only way we can relax and rest in Jesus.

A few years ago, I was a self employed housekeeper. One of the homeowners and I spent more time talking than anything. We grew close to knowing each other. We shared our likes, our dislikes and our struggles, as well as sharing Scripture.

One day she was doing something in a book. I couldn’t tell what but, she could sense my curiosity. I’m naturally animated, with outward facial and body expressions. Though, I do get tired and shutdown but then I look mean and hateful. But, this time, I’m leaning over, back and forth with making faces of wonder. She joyfully smiles and holds up this book and a bazillion brilliant colors shined in my eyes. Glittering, bright neon, and array of colors, I saw as my jaw dropped in amazement.

She said ” I am just coloring, you should come try it.” I said “Oh no thanks, I free draw. ” She kept persisting me to come sit and try it, saying “It’s so relaxing, you will love it. ” I sat down and tried. As I colored one thing unto the next my hand slides across the wet gel on the paper. “Oh dang ” I said, as I smeared the colors over the uncolored part of the paper. She laughed saying “Yes, you can’t touch the paper but, you will get it. ” I said ” Hmm, ” looking at my colored hand, “I’ll stick to free drawing. Back to work. ” She kept talking about the peace I would get and she wanted me to experience it from coloring these drawings with the colors I marveled over.

The next time I showed up to work, she handed me my own coloring book and colors. I thought that was really sweet of her and thanked her, though I wasn’t really that interested. I get home and set them aside.

After walking by that book and colors for a week, I was drawn to pick it up and color. Well, it was one of the most difficult things I have ever tried to do in regards to art. I mean I have been painting wall murals since high school, this shouldn’t be so hard. I felt so restricted. I had to color what was already drawn for me. It wasn’t my free hand drawing and heart pouring out what was inside. Saying, “How could anyone enjoy and relax to this?” I put it up for quite sometime.

Then, I started to feel defeated. A little coloring book made me quit doing something someone says I would enjoy doing. I was even more determined to make myself do it! This is going to take discipline and I was up for the challenge. Nothing beats me, not even a mere coloring book!

It took a few attempts of clinching and tensed up frustration before I started truly humbling myself to stay within the lines of what was given to me to color. Then, all of a sudden my heart started to light up, ” This picture needs coloring and I get to color it!” My need to create the image fell away and now a desire to help color that picture sprung up.

Today, 3 years later I am still coloring and I can honestly say it does bring my heart and mind to a place of peace. I don’t have to create it, just relax and bring it to life by taking my sweet ole time to color what is already in front of me. Perfect Peace.

This is the life of a believer. Before we were saved, we were freely doing whatever our hearts desired to do. No lines, no boundaries. Wild and Free. And we all know that led to may troubles we didn’t need. It caused us and others harm and even life threatening at times. Ultimately, would leave us in a life eternally separated from God; Our Creator, Our Heart’s True Desire.

We come to believe on The LORD Our Savior being even more free but we need his help of the Holy Ghost to guide us, like those lines in a coloring book. God already drew our image and we must discipline ourselves to color it, in God’s lines. And while we color our lives we are consumed by that Perfect Peace and can’t get enough.

I still get my hands covered in the ink and just laugh like she did. And, thank God for something I can do that brings me in His divine order to submit and receive His perfect Peace.

God has given us a coloring book; our lives and marriages and we need to discipline ourselves to stay in the lines and color them! And, when we do, we are able to relax and obtain peace! No worries, just testimonies in encouraging stories.