I had a dream. Many years ago. It must have been vivid if I can remember the majority of it still to this day. I was in a room with a group of people who were auditioning to be the next big star. I must have recently binged on reality TV shows like The Voice or American Idol for the landscape of this dream. I wasn’t a contestant, but rather a judge. I was who stood between passion, hope, and success. I got to make the calls.
This young boy came to the stage and shared with us his talent. I can’t remember what he did, but I remember how I felt. He was precious and the world would love him, but his talent seemed subpar to me and I knew it wouldn’t be what he should spend his life work on. I gave him the news. He wouldn’t go any further in the competition. This was the end of the road. Thanks for your time.
He walked up to me with a smile on his face. How could he be smiling? I just popped his dream bubble. He handed me a picture that he drew, and while I don’t remember the colors or the shapes that were scribbled on the page, I do remember what he said as it was the last thing I heard before I woke up. He looked me in the eyes and, while comforting me for letting him down, he spoke “color something pretty today!”
Some dreams wash away with the morning sun. Most of mine linger for maybe an hour and then my brain flushes them, realizing I need room to remember daily chores around the house or who is picking up which kid where. But this dream… I dwelled on it all day.
At first, I was frustrated with myself for not letting this cute kid through. I mean, look at some of the past top contestants on America’s Got Talent. Sometimes it’s not the talent the drives the results, but the level of cuteness. And this boy had a healthy dose of that. Why was I so brash and rude? Ugh. And then this sweet boy, who should have been mad at me, was joyful and actually gave me a present. Albeit the picture wasn’t a Picasso, but still.
And then it hit me. It was what he said, not what he did, that was the reason God was keeping this dream front and center on my mind. “Color something pretty today.” This boy had a choice. He may not have been able to choose his outcome in the competition, but he chose his reaction to it. And he decided that while his legacy may not live on in this talent, it could live on in his perspective. He shared that with me. He challenged me to choose to color pretty things – to be positive and do good for one another. He pushed me to see the world through the lens of love instead of judgement. He wanted me to help him color this world something awesome, and he wanted me to start today.
Wow. This woman is a nut job, right? One dream and she’s analyzed it to such a level that doesn’t even make a lick of sense. Some of you may say that. And to you, I wish I could leap through the screen and give you a hug. Human touch speaks more than any words could be said or written. Others, you may just like me and give me the benefit of the doubt… not calling 911 for me losing my sanity. Thanks for that! I’m good, I promise!
I may be a lot of things, but one thing I can promise you. That dream, to me, was a note from our Higher Being. He sent me a message, and He expected me to deliver it and work on it, daily. In fact, if you ever pause in your wild and crazy lives and reflect on things that have happened, people you’ve come across, places you’ve been, and experiences you’ve encountered…if you look around you and really look at life, not behind your phone or with your eyes glazed over. You will see these messages everywhere! Sometimes they smack you right in the face but nine times out of ten they don’t. They are subtle, and you have to be open to seeing them. You have to have the right lens on and you have to be willing to listen to what they have to say.
I hope you’ll join me on the journey that I’ve embarked upon thanks to the challenge this boy in my dreams gave me. I may stumble and not want to see the silver lining in my most painful experiences, but I’m trying. And isn’t that what life is about? Trying. No one said you had to be perfect. Nope, you don’t even have to color your picture within the lines. You’ll make plenty of mistakes and wrong turns. I know I have and I will. But each day is a new day and each day I’ll try my hardest to color that day pretty. I’m up for the challenge. Are you?
