What Darkens Our Lives & World? By Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy

I think my theme of the day is in regards to the things that darken our world and lives. What keeps color from our lives?

What Uncolors Our Lives and Worlds?
Uncolor is technically not a word. I just made it up, but am using it to make a strong point. We have things/aspects in our lives that add color, meaning, and beauty to our lives. We also have aspects/things that darken our lives and take color from our lives.

For each of us, it's different things that uncolor and darken out lives. However, there are also commonalities. Here's a short, and by no means complete, list that can take the beauty and sacred from our lives:

Busyness
Idols/False Idols
Meaninglessness
Possessions
Money
Debt
Family
Friends
Stubbornness
Self-Centered Thinking/Self-Focus
Life Experiences/Life Difficulties/Hard Times
Hatred
Doubt

Anything that keeps us so focused on anything other than on what really matters is that which uncolors and darkens our world.

What do you have in your life than you give too much attention to and that keeps you from what really matters?

Busyness

I think that busyness is an all-across-the-board facet that keeps us all from living a colorful life of color and beauty. We tend to get too busy to do much of anything of value.

We use busyness as a way of escape. It's a very detrimental thing we do to ourselves.

How do we know if we're trapped by the idol and dark nature of busyness? Because we cannot sit still or have a day off. We use the excuse we're too busy. We don't have the time.

What a lie we tell ourselves. We don't want to choose to make the time. That's the difference. The question, then, is why don't we want to make the time to focus on beauty and the sacred nature of life and on what colors our world? Typically, we have healing to do and that's why. Or, we are scared to sit still because we might realize we are alone. Or, we're afraid to because we won't know what really matters in our lives any longer.

What Gives You Color in Your Life?
When was the last time you stopped and asked yourself this question?

It's usually a state of being that offers meaning and color to our lives. Not an activity. It's being comfortable in your own skin. It's allowing time to connect with the sacred, to focus on matters of faith, and to turn to God.

Nothing matters more than color, beauty, or the sacred.

Get rid of the stuff that darkens your color, beauty, or sacred state of being connected with the Lord and your faith.

Without faith, we have no color, beauty, or meaning.

Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy and Publishing by Stacy