There Is Beauty Yet To Come

Six years ago, when the world turned yellow, I wrote a song.

A few weeks before, I had gone to counseling for the first time. I was finding a new vocabulary. I was finding a new sense of self.

After walking to the mailbox and back and clearing footprints in the yellow sand, I sat down at the piano and began to play.

The song that emerged was a prophetic declaration of who I am and who I want to be.

I thought of this song today as I exited white halls and emerged into a yellow world.

I thought of how I’d been living into its words ever since they sprang from my heart and how I will continue living into them in the years to come.

I thought of how I’d been finding my voice, my colors, my identity.

And I thought of how beautiful it is to know that we are created in the image of God, loved because of who we are now and who we are becoming rather than because of anything we have done or ever will do.

Friends, we are becoming whole, one day, one moment, at a time.

Hold to that truth today.

Let the yellow world remind you.

There is beauty yet to come.

Amen and Amen.

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Whole

A cloud of yellow comes and settles on my soul
Replacing sheets of white—cold
Nature has been waiting for this yellow on my soul
Agonizing in the pains of death

Tender, warm, new buds they bloom and yellow floods my soul
Bitter, stale the old passes away
My throat is scratchy from the yellow on my soul
My words are hoarse from the dark night

But listen now: this is my voice
It’s bursting into life
Singing with the colors of our God…

Three short months extended into countless draining years
Deceiving lies leading astray
Destructive screaming from this world created chaos here
Whispers of the truth could not be heard

But listen now: this is my voice
This is who I am
Created in the image of our God
Loved not for the things I do
But loved for who I am
And who I am learning to be

I’m not perfect—I will fail
But I believe in God’s grace
I am gifted and unique
I am worthy of God’s grace
I’m authentic—I’m okay
And I stand upon God’s grace
I’m on a journey—not alone
I’m a member of God’s grace

So listen now: this is my voice
This is who I am
Created in the image of our God
Loved not for the things I do
But loved for who I am
And who I am learning to be

Yes, listen now: this is my voice
It’s bursting into life
Singing with the colors of our God…

A cloud of yellow comes and settles on my soul
Replacing broken sheets—whole…