WHAT COLOR IS LOVE?

Around 14 years ago my life changed dramatically.  I was going to have my first grandchild.  Wonderful!  But, it was going to be a mixed child, black and white.  My religion or spirituality, if you call it that, went out of the window fast! What about my reputation?  I cried out, “Lord you know that I have been raised in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone. “You know the mindset of people around here?” “What will they think about me, my family?”  “Races just don’t mix.” Growing up in a small town in the 60’s I had friends that were black, but lines were still drawn in the sand (unspoken at least), friendship was one thing but marriage was entirely a different issue altogether. This was 2001, but things were still not that different.  As I continued to cry out to him, as always, Holy Spirit came and comforted my soul. Here is part of a song that I wrote that night.  You are the lover of my soul. You are the lifter of my head.  You’re a safe place I can rest. I trust in you. And I did. And I have. And I continue to. He changed my heart.

He was born. The prettiest little boy you have ever seen, one deep dimple, beautiful tan skin. He captured my heart. God started to work on me. He opened my eyes to many things; bad attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudices, that had been ingrained deep into my very being…a whole lot of stinkin'-thinkin'!

I started writing a children’s book around that time. All these years, I have just left it on the shelf. I’ve pulled it out many times.  Reflected on it, and then put it back.  But, since my retirement I have really taken time to pray about it and think about what I  need to do with it.  I want to share this children’s picture book with you entitled, “What Color Is Love?”  It is dedicated to my precious grandchildren, with an acknowledgement, to the one that loves us all the same…regardless of our skin color.

THE SUN SHONE BRIGHTLY ON                                                    

 THE DAY I WAS BORN,                                     

THE BIRDS SANG SO SWEET

IN THE TREES

ALL AROUND ME WAS THE                                             

CREATION OF GOD

 AND THE WORLD WAS

 A GREAT PLACE TO BE

I LEARNED TO DANCE TO THE

MUSIC I COULD HEAR

AND SING MANY MELODIES

AND TUNES

But, then something happened…

The music was unclear

Someone told me I wasn’t

the right hue

“I’m not the right color?”

I asked myself

"How can that be?"

I look like my mommy

and I look like my dad                                     

What color am I suppose

 to be?

"Dear God?"  I asked as I looked in

 His eyes, there a tear I could see

“Do you like my color?" He replied with a smile,

“WHAT I SEE IS A REFLECTION OF ME”

I was content with His answer

But pondered this thought…

Would I ever live in a world

 Where color is not what we see?

But yet when we look on

The face of our brother

There God’s reflection will be

And the music will once again make us dance

And the "new song" that we hear,  set us free

  Because,                                                                                

When we look on the face of our

brother and sister

ONLY THE COLOR OF LOVE WE'LL SEE

Hope that one day this little book can be published.  Please pray with me that I find an illustrator that has the same vision as I do to illustrate the pictures. My prayer is that one day we will live in a world where “color is not what we see.” My prayer is the same as Martin Luther King, Jr., “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Father, I pray this same prayer today across this nation.

    Open our eyes…
sammie jean

Our grandchildren 2009