Looking for the Color Pink

Submitted by Jennifer Power

On the way to preschool yesterday, my four year old and I were looking at the fall colors. We talked about the seasons and how in fall the leaves turn colors before everything turns brown in winter. My daughter listened as I explained all this then with enthusiasm asked,

“Are there PINK leaves?!”

“Hmm, I don’t know, but you can look for pink leaves,” I suggested.

I did not think she would find pink leaves in the fall colors but she went about the task with joy as we drove.

We were talking and listening to music during our commute when suddenly she exclaims,

“I see PINK LEAVES!”

I did not see any pink leaves, but not wanting to quench her joy, I entered into her excitement and told her to keep looking and tell me if she sees more.

Sure enough, a few minutes later she points out more pink leaves, and this time I see them too. Now, there were not many leaves on this small tree, and I would not have called the leaves pink – more like a light red (but if light red is not pink then what is?).

Watching my little girl look for and find pink leaves in the fall reminded me of an important lesson. My daughter did not know pink is not generally considered a fall color. I probably would not have even bothered looking for pink leaves, but not only did she look for pink leaves, but she also found them.

I wonder, do we sometimes view God like I viewed pink leaves? Not expecting to find Him in ordinary moments of the day, do we not even bother to look? Perhaps in our view of God we should be more like my daughter looking for pink leaves and expecting to find them.

Pink leaves in the fall are an anomaly, but an awareness of God’s presence in our lives does not have to be. With time and practice, we can learn to communicate with God in all things and to be aware of His presence in times when we would typically have forgotten about Him. We can see Him in all things – in all seasons and moments of our lives.

A little over a week ago, I sat down to read/listen to the short book “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence (written in the late 1600s). It is all about learning to be aware of God in all moments of life, to do all things for love of Him, and to acknowledge and obey Him at every turn. A few days after reading it, I read it a second time. I am now reading “Letters by a Modern Mystic” (published in 1937) by Frank Laubach who was a missionary in the Philippines in the 1900s who desired to fill as many minutes of his day with thoughts of God, constantly asking Him what He would have him do and say.

I would encourage you to take an hour or so this week and read “The Practice of the Presence of God.” It is available in digital form for $.99 on Kindle, free to read online and free to listen to on YouTube. You can also get “Letters by a Modern Mystic” for $5.99 on Kindle.

These two books are challenging me to become ever more aware of God’s presence in my life – to learn to see Him when He has typically been far from my mind. I am so excited about this new venture and would love to have you join me. We live in a busy, fast-paced age where it might seem impossible to acknowledge God in all things and in all moments, but I believe He desires this for us even today.

May we experience more of Him today.

May He not be like pink leaves in fall; but may He be to us the very air we breathe.

His grace is more than sufficient, and today I am holding on to that by faith until it becomes more real than that which I see with my own eyes.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”