red & yellow, black & white

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  Revelation 7:9-10


We live in a world full of prejudice.  What the world seemingly forgets is that God created each of us in His own image.



God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."  Genesis 1



Not only were we created in His image, but we were each perfectly planned by God.



"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
      you formed me in my mother's womb. 
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! 
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 
      I worship in adoration—what a creation! 
   You know me inside and out, 
      you know every bone in my body; 
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, 
   The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."  Psalm 139

Eli and I had a conversation yesterday that got me thinking.  He was sitting on a stool next to my desk drawing a picture of our family.  He wanted to draw our friend, Charles.  Charles is a young man that attended Christian High, the school that Dusty works at.  He and Dusty became good friends and ultimately became a friend of our family.  The boys adore him and he has stayed with us quite a bit while home on collage breaks.  I think Charles is on their minds, because they know he's coming home for Christmas soon.  They've really been talking about him a lot.  As Eli was drawing, he suddenly dropped his pencil in complete frustration.

"What's wrong, Eli?"

{with a frown} "I can't draw Charles."

"Well, why not?"

"Because he is black."

I was slightly taken aback.  We have never spoken about the color of anyone's skin, so this was his 3 year old observation.  He spotted a Sharpie and requested it.  He drew for about 2 seconds and threw it down in frustration, yet again.

"Now what?"

"That doesn't work EITHER.  Chawles is not black.  He is brown!"

We found a brown marker and problem solved.  The reason this got me thinking was that this had nothing to do with anything but him wanting to get his picture perfect.  I love the innocence and purity of children and being able to see things through their eyes.  Though they have eyes that can physically see differences among us, they don't actually see any difference.  And isn't this the way it should be?  We are all created and loved by God and should love one another in the same way.  Just as I watch both of my children {who go to an incredibly diverse school} play with every single child where literally everyone is their friend, that's the way it should be amongst us, in the world.  It's such a perfect picture of how things should be.  

So all that to say, I just thought it was a moment of complete sincerity, honesty and cuteness.  He was so distraught that he couldn't get his picture just right.  And when he finally did... he was so happy.

Eli's drawing.  I was just impressed he could even draw a smiley face :)

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