1019. There’s not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice. ~John Calvin

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We were always intoxicated with color,
with words that speak of color,
and with the sun that makes colors live.
~Andre Derain

Screen Shot 2015-12-27 at 4.33.30 PM.png

By filling the earth with color the Lord has painted a kind of portrait of himself, and in so doing He has revealed an intentional path to His throne. This is no less true in winter for color is a continuous, rhythmic part of the mystery of God’s life and thus is deeply rooted in all four seasons. Winter may allow periodic breathing spaces for garden and gardener on forbidding days, cold and lacking in sunshine, but on days when the sun does make an appearance, there’s the usual soft, golden glow at sunrise, the sometimes pinky/purply bands low on the eastern horizon at day’s end, and the random blazing red and orange streaks of intensely tinted sunsets in the west. On occasional cloudless nights, there’s the white glow of the moon at times illuminating the deep indigo canopy overhead; on days when the bright yellow sun shines, there are the china blues of daytime skies, and when the sun doesn’t appear, there are the lovely, velvety grays of clouds filled with rain or  in rolling fogs or mists. I’ve heard winter called the season of drabness of the spirit yet I find bliss and hope not only in the things I’ve already mentioned but also in the reds of winter berries and the cardinals at the feeders, in the white of snow when it falls, in the silvery sparkles of icicles and frosts, in the constancy of green on hollies, conifers, spruces, and such, in the beiges and browns of dried grasses, autumn leaves, and seed pods, in the magenta of hyacinth bean seed pods or ornamental grass seed heads, and on and on it goes, the glorious, never ending sacred voice of color.

Of all God’s gifts to the sighted man,
color is the holiest, the most divine…
~John Ruskin

…for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. ~Romans 11:29  ✝

**Images and collage by Natalie

 

19 thoughts on “1019. There’s not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice. ~John Calvin”

  1. I really love the colors of the world we were given by God. He is an awesome God, Natalie. I like how the colors and scenery are like a portrait of Him. ♡ You gave us a fantastic post today and I cherish the images you shared with us. Hugs, Robin

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  3. This is so perfect tonight Natalie, just as I knew it would be. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
    The abstract you have above is much like one my Granddaughter made for me as a birthday gift this year. She used melted crayon as her medium, and I want her to move in with me now, and stay long enough to teach me how to do that. In this case I’m sure I can become a very slow learner, probably taking at least ten years to learn how to melt a crayon, lol.
    Must go now. Still trying to catch up on rest, and my eyes are trying to shut on me while I sit here in this most uncomfortable chair. Hugs! A.

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      • I hope you’re having more luck in the rest department than I’m having Natalie. Just can’t unwind yet, so there’s still something I’ve forgotten to finish. Not totally exhausted yet, so still going on whatever drives me at times like this. I hope you had better luck. Love and hugs to you also my sweet friend.

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  5. our warm weather has the grass greening up as if it were late Spring–bright green when it should be straw like—the more hardy perennials are still budding and blooming—it ‘s almost very surreal for what is to be a barren winter—even my ferns remain outside and are flushing—it’s just all a bit too odd for my—the up and down of this oh so strange out of sync season….

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    • It is pretty strange here too, but we’re supposed to have a week of close to or just below freezing this week. So we shall see what happens. My ferns are still hanging in there too, but this time around may finish them off. It was nearly 80 degrees here on Christmas day and then the warm southerly winds collided with cold northerly winds and boom brutality erupted all around us. Thankfully all we’ve gotten so far is huge amount of rain. When I went out to close the greenhouse this afternoon, it felt like I was walking on a squishy sponge. Stay dry my friend, love from a very, very soggy Texas twister. 🙂 ❤

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      • Oh I said the very same thing when I was out picking up the blown down wreaths…a squishy sponge…my aunt just got in from south florida and can’t believe how warm it is here—and they’re saying the same thing here by weekend’s end—more winter like temps—down to freezing—but first, we have storms all week long—
        love and hugs to a wet tumbleweed from a very soggy peach

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