DON’T TURN YELLOW

Not long ago I wrote about Roz and her flowers (RMJ 2 October 2021 archives) and how she speaks to them and expects them to respond. Recently she was in her flower garden and I heard her say to a little plant… in her kind way… “Don’t turn yellow.” This was concerning a yellowing flower. (‘The most common reason that plants’ leaves turn yellow is because of moisture stress, which can be from either over watering or under watering.’) But I was near when she said this and I immediately wondered if she was talking to me.

Of course the common slang term for ‘turning yellow’ is to become cowardly, to chicken out, cop out, to back down, to give up, lose your nerve or wimp out.
All of this was an injunction for the little flower and it suddenly hit me the same way: “Don’t turn yellow.”

I have never felt I was particularly given to cowardice, fear or turning yellow but I stopped and paused and thought how this concerned life’s decisions, the challenge of gospel truth, relationships, marriage, giving opinions, standing for things I believe… and I just kept hearing, “just don’t turn yellow” and that was the essence of the message. Show courage and bravery and don’t back down from anything or anybody. So the little flower and I are on notice: “Don’t turn yellow.”

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Jesus