A New Hobby for the Pandemic

Did you take up any new hobbies while isolated at home? Learn any new skills?

I had never been a fan of those coloring books designed for grown-ups. I tried once, but between the teensy little areas to be colored and my (ahem) maturing eyesight, the results looked like a preschooler did it. I decided it was not for me.

(On a coloring-related side note, kudos to Crayola for finally coming up with the Colors of the World skin-tone crayons!)

Wish we'd had these when I was a kid.

Anyway, early in the pandemic, my friend Leta sent me a link to a free scripture coloring page—an array of pretty flowers surrounding these words: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” from Joshua 1:9. (Side note: I have a friend named Joshua who was born on January 9. How perfect a verse is that for him?)

   

I decided to color the page using four fine tip gel markers I’d received as a retirement gift plus the four different fluorescent highlighters on my desk. Well, technically, two were snitched from Hubby’s desk.

I also wore the magnifier glasses I use for nail polishing and sliver-pulling. This allowed me to enjoy coloring and I felt so pleased with the result I went looking for more free scripture coloring pages online. I printed the ones I liked and purchased a set of fine tip markers so I’d have more colors from which to choose.

Soon I was coloring while watching TV, listening to podcasts, and—gasp!—listening to online church services. I’d stick one to our front door to encourage the mailman, swapping it out with a new one each time I completed a picture.

So enthralled was I with this new interest, I hatched a plan to share it with subscribers of my author newsletter by gifting them with a scripture coloring page. To motivate them to print, color, scan, and return it, I’d make it a contest with a free book for the winner. Brilliant.

There was only one problem. I do not have the skills to create such a thing and I couldn’t very well be giving away someone else’s artwork without permission. I talked to a couple of artist friends, offering to pay. I selected Psalm 138:8 – “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.”

The page Gord designed, colored by Moi

Local author Gord Zacharias not only created a gorgeous page, he did it for free (“this time”). I could not have been happier with it! I colored mine, offered the uncolored one in my newsletter, and have been receiving finished ones back for the draw to be made on July 31. How fun is that?

With the arrival of summer’s garden and yard care duties, my coloring has slowed down. (Not to mention I think I’ve already completed all the ones available for free!) Last weekend I asked myself why I was letting my finished pages pile up in a folder where nobody sees them. I took half an hour and sprinkled them throughout my home. Sticky tack works well on walls; magnets are great for appliances and metal doors. Now, almost anywhere we go in our house, we feel encouraged by words of truth and wisdom, surrounded by color and beauty—a definite step up from the negativity in the news or on social media.

In Deuteronomy 6, God told his people his words were to be on their hearts and impressed upon their children. Written on the doorframes of their houses and on their gates.

He never said they couldn’t be pretty, too.