Color Me “Stress-Free”
August 28, 2015
I love kids. One reason I do is because they usually come with coloring books and I love to color. There have been times that I have given my nieces and nephews coloring books as birthday or Christmas gifts because it was a great excuse for me to both spend time with them and satisfy my joy for coloring.
However, as of last week, I am done with my ulterior motives for spending time with kids I love because last week was the first time I heard of adult coloring books. Last week one of my cousins shared with me that she had started to color in order to relieve some stress. Enthusiastically she brought out a basket of adult coloring books and her Prismacolor pencils even though her daughter was taunting her by saying that she can’t wait to hang her mother’s coloring pages on the refrigerator. Mock as you may, adult coloring books are all the rage now.
Just last month Parade magazine(http://parade.com/409702/hdowdle/50-shades-of-happy-the-new-joy-of-coloring/) touted the “new joy” of adult coloring books along with a CBS News report, on August 27th, which counted the benefits of adult coloring. Basically it is an opportunity to use both sides of your brain and exercise your creativity, reduce blood pressure, and relieve stress (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/adult-coloring-books-johanna-basford-among-hottest-book-summer/).
I am pretty confident that God doesn’t have anything against the new joys of coloring and their health benefits, but I do think He has much to say about stress. Many reasons exist as to why people experience anxiety, but many of us are in distress when we do not trust God to provide the basic needs of life. And during a week like this past one, a roller coaster week on Wall Street, stress and concern about financial needs can skyrocket as the stock market plummeted.
But when David was most distressed, he didn’t reach for the new joy of coloring or become a day trader.
Instead, he found consolation in God:
“When anxiety was great within me,Your consolation brought me joy.”
Psalm 94:19
Instead, he sought the LORD:
“I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 34:4
Instead, he committed his plans to the LORD:
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:”
Psalm 37:5
Instead, he delighted in God’s Word:
“Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight.”
Psalm 119:143
Light bulb! I’ve decided to combine the enjoyment of coloring with delighting in the Word of God. So picture me this weekend joyfully coloring in my Psalms coloring book, which will arrive from Amazon any hour now, along with brand new Prismacolor pencils. This order does not come with kids, but they’re not necessary since I’m an adult and I can color if I want to.
Stay tuned for when I post my first coloring on the cyberspace refrigerator door.