Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Dear God,

When I was a child in school for the first time, I was told to color in the lines. When I did a good job of keeping all my reds, yellows, blues, greens, and purples inside the thick black lines, I got a gold star at the top of my coloring page. When I failed I didn't.

I was a dutiful student believing that a beautiful page was one colored well within the lines. What I learned much later in life was this: When you draw in the lines and never cross over, you simply have a picture of colors inside lines. On the other hand, when you allow your hand to drift, to dance on the page, you have just that a dance, a colorful dance with no ending.

During my retreat I invited the women to dance on the page. I gave them sheets of paper with a spiritual exercise, questions, and instructions. At the bottom of the page I invited them to let the colors draw them and then use them to dance with your living spirit. One woman told me she loved the dance. It was liberating, she told me.

As I let myself live outside the lines, I find I am happier, more free and creative. When I give myself permission to move beyond the perimeters set up for me, I find an exciting world alive with possibility.

Masterful Creator,
thank you
for color,
for the cosmos
that has
no seams,
no dark lines
that cannot
be crossed.
Thank you
for allowing me
to dance
with color.

Love, Andrea