Keeping Company with Jesus
I keep company with Jesus in the colors.
How often have I looked for Him only in the palette of lofty places — the stained-glass, the ironed cloth on the altar, the vestments and banners saturated with color. Oh, He is there. I’ve kept company with Him in the steepled places where He radiates His God-colors in high-gloss finishes of a sanctuary.
But I also find Him brightening up the monochromatic of my everyday.
Every. Single. Day.
My Technicolor Jesus keeps step with me over soapy sink, fluffed white with bubbles. Cleanse me, Lord. Make me white as snow.
I keep company with my Technicolor Jesus in the backyard terrace, overgrown with umber and blonde wisps of weeds. We’re all dying, Lord. Prune me for eternal seasons in yet-unseen hues.
I find Him in blue-inked prayers lining journal pages,
in highlighted-green Bible passages,
in the crimson of Jesus’ own words in The Word.
In our family, we keep company with Jesus by responding to Him in the margins of our Bibles. We call our Bibles “holy messes,” for they are marked, underlined, dog-eared and yellow smiley-faced. Lord, I’m a mess, too. Let me find holiness in You, Colorful You.
Lydia zips open the purple cover of her own Bible, and finds herself in the words, right there with the Lydia who sells purple cloth in Acts 16. Lord, let me find myself there, too — so thrilled in the discovery that I can’t even keep my lines straight.
out the God–colors in the world.
— From Matthew 5 (The Message)
We keep company with him when colorless Joy-Tears run rivulets down our dirty farm faces — for the harvest has finally begun.
He is making Technicolor miracles in fields of wind-whipped grain; in bright-red wagons brimming with harvest promise; in a red-bundled, beaming father who comes to help with the harvest. (Thank you, Dad!)
Here Jesus is: full of color.
We keep company with Him when we notice the Extraordinary in our ordinary.
We keep company with God, when we remember His faithfulness. “The harvest will come at the proper time,” He told us, and we underlined the Bible promise in green. Today, we look through a window — with a bold-lettered reminder to PRAY — and we see golden fields being sheared, six rows at a time. 
We keep company with Jesus when we keep company with His sons and daughters — who are our children, our neighbors, our husbands.
Once upon a time, my God seemed gray and two-dimensional. But that was before I saw Him in my ordinary, everyday life — turning humdrum into God-colored, polychrome multi-dimensional masterpieces.
I keep company with God, when I see what He’s painted in this God Gallery:
a portrait of a God who is big enough to paint the sky,
and personal enough to make life-art that fits in a palm.
Our soybeans are creamy pearls. And He — our Christ with whom we keep company — rings us with silvery love. The silver ring on my finger reads, in Hebrew: Trust in the Lord.
Might you consider joining us over there at Ann’s?
Wow. What a fantastic post.
God – here and now, THE I AM.
Beautiful word painting of THE WORD. Thank you.
What a happy, colorful post! I love your imagery of the Technicolor Jesus. He does make us white as snow – such a blessing!
I just love the unique way you and Ann write about your experiences. Is awesome how God uses your talent to speak to us. Thank you.
LOVE all the photos here today! I'm blessed to see them–to see your harvest, in all its glorious color.
To God be all the glory!
What a beautiful post, Jennifer.
Blessings,
Beth
I love how you incorporate our technicolor Jesus in all that you do, whether through Bible reading, crop harvesting, and even an annual bfest with friends. Have mercy; not sure I would be so brave.
You are a good soul, Jennifer. You live life in all that you do. I want to be like you when I grow up:)
peace~elaine
PS: Those harvest pictures almost made me cry… there's just something about that entire concept that strikes a deep chord within me.
I love this post Jennifer–He really is so accessible to us, isn't He!! God must be in a colorful mood today–my post today was about color too. It's so cool when He is talking about the same things to each of us in distinctly personal ways!!
Repost this sometime in January, won't you? In the dreary, bleak midwinter I'll need a burst of royal color to jolt me back to a realization of promises kept and joyful celebration of life in Christ!
I loved this line – "Lord, let me find myself there, too — so thrilled in the discovery that I can't even keep my lines straight."
Hmmm…now that's thought provoking.
It was a beatiful post. Thank you.
I also just read Monday's post. Really, that was an amazing thing to share. Thanks so much for your transparency.
You bless me, you bless all of us.
Thank you.
Once again you bring a song to mind, the old "Coloring Song" by Petra:
"Red is the color of the blood that flows…
Blue is the color of a heart so cold…"
I'm so glad to know you. You take the drab outta me!
Love this post!! The harvesting photos really touch my heart…….It's as if I can hear the rumble of the combine engines and smell the rich fragrance of the earth bringing forth it's technicolor bounty! A feast for my eyes and heart! Wow, did I need your post today!
Thanks so much for sharing a piece of your blessed technicolor world!
Sweet Blessings!
Jackie
Technicolor Jesus…..I love it!
All the more reason God chose to make a rainbow to represent His promise.
Great post! I love your style, Jennifer
I LOVE this post. How beautifully you have tied all of creation to the Creator.
You have a wonderful way of expressing yourself and I really was blessed by reading this.
Blessings to you!
Hey Jennifer, what a wonderful post. In the 14 yrs we have been married, each year has turned out a little bit different but……..the harvest ALWAYS comes! :o) AMEN! Hope you dry out soon if you haven't already. We still need to drill a little wheat and cut our milo, but we just got a good 1.5 inches the last few days….but the sun is to come out the next few days. :o)
God bless
This was such a fun read! Colorful, inspirational, and down to earth goodness! You got it all, girl!