Add Some Color

Photo Credit:  DuBoix at morgueFile.com

Was everyone else taunted by the tiny taste of summer during Spring Break?  The week started off a little on the cool side, but quickly ended up in shorts and flip-flops for us.  And how about that lost hour at the beginning of Spring Break?  What thuh?!  Who plans these cruel jokes anyhow?  We want that hour BACK!  (ha ha)

Daylight Savings Time was extra crazy for us since our electricity went out during the night we had set the clocks forward.  We literally had no earthly idea what time it was.  Some of our house clocks were blinking 3:00 am; some were stuck on 12:00 am; and we didn’t know if the clocks that weren’t affected were an hour ahead or an hour behind.  Talk about being “in the dark.”  We were clueless.  Our family was aimlessly wandering around the house bumping into things (and each other) feeling completely lost.

And one thing about living in the country is that when the electricity goes out, it is pitch black…I mean…your eyes are open, but there is a BLACKNESS like you would not believe.  I panicked, thinking that I might have gone blind...but, that’s just me.  I don’t always choose the most logical reasoning.

We enjoyed our rest and relaxation nonetheless.  We had some carefree timelessness and we thank the good Lord above for that.  It was wonderful…and much needed.

Before the break, I chatted with one of my adorable friends, Kim W.  She was so excited that her eyes just danced when she told me that she had an absolutely perfect idea for my next Sips of Sunshine.  She was so precious when she explained how she had unraveled a marvelous connection between the movie, “50 First Dates” and our Lord.  (You must be saying, “Do tell…do tell!”  That’s what I was saying…)

I hadn’t seen the movie in forever, so I googled it to remember the synopsis.  Basically, Adam Sandler (Henry) lived the good life on a Hawaiian island and romanced all of the tourist women, with no strings attached.  It all changed when he met Drew Barrymore (Lucy).  Henry and Lucy hit it off from the get-go, but Henry was stumped when Lucy acted as if she didn’t know him at all with the start of each new day.

In the movie, Lucy had short-term memory loss and so each night, all memory of her entire day was erased.  But, Henry was so in love with Lucy that he went to great lengths to capture her heart.  So, every day he had to find unique and imaginative ways to show her that he loved her and captivate her attention…again and again and again.  (Funny what love will do, huh?)

Wow.  I see the connection, Kim.  I do.  I do!  I really do!  God is so incredibly in love with us that He will go to great lengths to show us His love…again and again and again.  We, like Lucy, so easily forget though, don’t we?  Daily.  We forget the wonderful things He has done.  We forget all of the answered (and thankfully “unanswered”) prayers.  We forget the good health.  We forget the roof over our head.  We forget about the food on our plates.  We forget about those who love us.  We forget about the gift of our amazing faith.  We forget about the gift of His only Son.  How easily…we forget.  And, do we even sometimes act as if we don’t know Him at all?  Hmmm…

Along the same lines, there was another instance during Spring Break in which I thought about God’s eagerness to get our attention and strengthen our faith.  (Bear with me…)  My kiddos had some gift cards in hand that they were itchin’ to use.  Amongst aisles and aisles of toys and art supplies, guess what they decided on?  Duct tape.  Granted, this isn’t your ordinary elephant gray duct tape.  This is the kind that comes in neon colors, leopard print, pink and black zebra stripe, snake skin, rainbow paint splatters and Hello Kitty® (just to name a few). 

Everyone knows about duct tape, right?  The strong, flexible tape with a long-lasting adhesive that is resistant to weathering and has been around since the early 1900’s?  Yep, and it has a bazillion uses, too.  My kids asked if I ever played with duct tape as a kid.  I honestly could tell them that I had not ever thought of it.  Duct tape seemed dull to me as a child.  It didn’t captivate my attention, ya know?  I’m thinkin’ that I’m not the only one with those same sentiments about duct tape.

WELL, WELL, WELL!  Did you know that there is an entire website full of “Ducktivities?”  Yes, there are countless fun crafts that you can make with the stuff!  Purses, wallets, rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, shirts, pants, hats, roses, and picture frames…all out of Duck tape®!  Unbelievable.  Who knew?!

My roundabout thought process is this:  Here we have duct tape…something great…something strong…something with wonderful potential…(our faith, possibly?) that just needs a fresh take.  Who knew that adding a bit of color would attract children to duct tape?  DUCT TAPE for cryin’ out loud!  What if our personal faith just needs some “color?”  What if we just need to find that “thing” that paints our faith in a brighter shade for us?  The potential is there.  We just need to search a bit more on the color palette and get creative.  Is our faith going to “stick?”  Will our faith be resistant to all of the forces that could cause it to “weather?”  Will it be “strong and long-lasting?”

I love learning about my faith.  Being a cradle Catholic, I have taken many things about my own faith for granted, I admit it.  The beauty of the Holy Mass and the power of the Rosary are just two off the top of my head. 

At times, we just need to take baby steps.  Sometimes we need to find that special something that will help us love our faith even more and live it out loud.  I don’t think that the following story is a coincidence.  Our incredibly thoughtful friend, Milissa, handmade each one of my family members a rosary in our favorite colors.  She actually did a “color survey” about a month ago – I just thought she was bored.  Little did I know that she was working on a labor of love with her survey results.  That little stinker! 

Anyway, about the same time that Milissa gave our family the new rosaries, our friend, Michael, sent a beautiful e-mail reminder about the power of the rosary…since it is both prayer and meditation and is addressed to the Father, our Holy Mother, the Blessed Trinity, and is centered on Christ’s life. 

In the e-mail, it explained that when we pray the Rosary, the Blessed Mother comes to our side and brings choirs of angels with her.  Amazing.  And, since Mary and Jesus are joined at the heart, Jesus is also there.  And, because Jesus cannot be separated from the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Holy Spirit are present as well.  And…where the Trinity is, all of creation is, so we are also surrounded with a beauty and light that we cannot imagine in this life.  The graces are abundant.  I had forgotten…

My kids were ecstatic about using their very own handmade rosaries.  And, for those of you who know me…we usually head into church…as the priest walks in.  So, for our family to get to Mass EARLY to pray the rosary…well, let’s just say that it is truly a miracle in itself.  We’re still working on it, but we have tremendously enjoyed the times that we’ve prayed the rosary as a family before Mass.  Baby steps.  Baby steps.  I have always had a rosary, BUT, for some reason, our brand-new, handmade-with-love, ever-so-colorful rosaries re-ignited the passion for praying it.

To wrap it all up…let’s be more aware this week of the many ways that God is trying to make us fall in love with Him over and over again each day.  (Thank you, Kim!)  And, like the fancy duct tape, let’s find that thing that will add fresh “color” to our faith-life to make it (or keep it) strong, resistant to weathering, and help us stick ever close to our Savior.  (Gotta love those puns!  hee hee)

Oooh!  And, how exciting that a new Pope was elected during Spring Break, too!  Fresh hope in a sometimes weary world.  A humble and insightful man was chosen in Pope Francis as he takes his place as Saint Peter’s successor.  It was so refreshing to watch as Pope Francis asked the people for a blessing before he blessed the people.  Simply awesome.  Francis, in honor of Francis of Assisi, is the perfect name during such a time as this – one of material prosperity, but much spiritual poverty.  God bless him and may God bless all of you!  My friend, Dorian Speed, has done a beautiful job with her new website all about the papacy – be sure to check it out!