When you are on a summer holiday in a small-ish house with a large-ish number of people and a cyclone shows up, it is time to be creative. 

Barby came to the rescue, with her latest purchase from the ‘adult colouring books’ (ACBs) genre.  While they were a craze a decade ago, Barby has been an even earlier advocate of the way they help de-stress and relax people, by slowing them down and then creating this community among those who are colouring together.  A depth of conversation can be possible when eyes are averted, a bit like driving in a car with your teenagers!

We took out some of the perforated pages from Spiral Scopes: World Landmarks and gave them to family members.  This was our daughter-in-law, Kava’s, effort with the Taj Mahal.  Remarkable, eh?!  Now I gotta take her there one day…  Here is Barby’s Sphinx—and my Colosseum, which is likely to have received one of those ‘good effort’ responses from the teacher.  

But here is the amazing thing with these books.  Each image commences as a blank page (see below).  The colouring starts at the center, moving ever outwards in a ‘spiralling’ manner.  Gradually, the picture emerges—and, of course, the fun increases when you don’t know what the final picture looks like when you start out.  All you need is a pencil—and a little patience…

When we came back home, Barby went out to buy a copy of the second book that is available: Spiral Scopes: Amazing Animals.  I lie.  She bought two copies!  With a blog taking shaping in my mind, I asked if she would mind colouring this animal for me (after all, today is India’s Republic Day!): 

As is the case with imagery, there is often a metaphor lying there as well…

Isn’t this so similar to the way the Lord guides us?  

We make a small start with him—and he with us.  With the help of his Spirit, we find freedom and meaning within his boundaries, given to us in his Word.  As we keep walking with him, step by step, he colours our lives—and sometimes it does feel like we are going around in circles!  But in time and from experience, we discover, as Dr Beryl Howie held up on a card, as our first guest speaker in my years at Carey: Solvitur Ambulando Cum Deo [“the solution is walking with God”].  I liked it so much, I asked if I could have it—and then I framed it…

When we walk with God, it is about ‘trusting and obeying’ all the way home.  As we do so, we have this conviction that a full and complete picture will emerge at the end, even if it can only be glimpsed intermittently along the way. 

“He makes everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3.11).

nice chatting

Paul