The Color Yellow

This may be a bit random, so bear with me on this one. I've been thinking about writing this blog for about a month now and finally decided to do it after I had a conversation with someone about it. Even then, I wrote the blog, but was afraid to post it until now because I didn't feel like I was saying much of anything. I finally decided to post it anyway and to see what happens. Here goes...

Ever since I left home, I've had a really strange inclination towards yellow things (weird, I know... who likes yellow?). Oddly enough, I started noticing yellow fire-hydrants, staring at yellow cars, pointing out people with yellow shirts, and even debating (for a very brief time) about getting a yellow cover for my laptop; in fact, I even passed up a blue pipe-cleaner to choose a yellow one in a little art project. What in the world is going on with me? I don't even like yellow! (Remember, please, that this is really random.)

My peculiar yellow fetish made me think... a lot. After several days of thinking it over, I realized that I was so attracted to yellow because it reminded me of a house my family and I pass when bike-riding near home. How random is that? But, see, I love this house! It is rather difficult to explain such a house to an audience that can only read my words, but this is my attempt... The house is built with a colonial type structure complete with gables, white trim, green window blinds, and a beautiful, long front porch. To add to it's early-American style and atmosphere, the abode also features an old oak tree (that I think they should tie a yellow ribbon around), a hanging star-spangled banner, amazingly green grass (amazing because it's in the desert), the coolest and most artistically detailed mailbox I've ever seen, and, to complete the ambiance, an old cattle-driven wagon at the front of the yard. To put it succinctly, the whole property of this house is fascinating and inspiring.

So where am I going with this? Yellow things (fire hydrants, shirts, pipe-cleaners, etc.) remind me of the colonial house; it's as if yellow has become a color symbol to remind me of something bigger and better... similar to the symbol of the cross. In this day and age, we have created many keychains, necklaces, statues, pendants, and other miscellaneous decorations all with the symbol of the cross. Obviously, not one of the crosses we see today is the cross on which Jesus bore our sin and shame. Rather, these crosses have become symbols of the real cross and of the truth and freedom for us behind it; the cross we see today is there to remind us of something bigger and better.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that just as anything yellow reminds me of the colonial house, so should the cross remind us of the price that has already been paid for us. My point is simple really, as simple as it is obvious. (Just the same, I'd be willing to bet you never thought about the cross and colonial houses even in the same sentence before.) We ought never to forget that we have already been bought and by the Maker of this world at that! He has forgiven our wrong deeds and is preparing to welcome us home, to our permanent and everlasting home with Him. As yellow stirs inspiration in me, the cross, then, should stir up passion - to live for the One who has come and is coming again, worship - to Him who is the Lord on High and yet loves each and every one of us, and love - for Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and conquered the grave. My redeemer lives!