Crayons

Life is like a box of crayons.  Most people are the 8-color boxes, but you're really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back.  I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I've got a few missing.  It's ok though, because I've got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal.  I have a bit of a problem though in that  can only meet 8-color boxes.  Does anyone else have that problem?  I mean there are so many different colors of life of feeling, of articulation.  So when I mean someone who's an 8-color type, I'm like, "hey girl, magenta!" and she's like, "oh, you mean purple!" and she goes off on her purple thing, and I'm like, "no - I want magenta!" -John  Mayer

I have had a lot of conversations around the topic of dating lately.  Whether its one friend who is smitten with a new boy, a supervisor frustrated with how dating is handled in the church, or just someone who needs to share their heart.  Dating has been a hot topic these days.  I mean, its not surprising.  Entering my mid-twenties with two years of singledom behind me, sometimes dating looks pretty gosh darn amazing.  Many of my friends are still single as well, although that number is decreasing daily, which means dating is pretty much always on our minds...ok maybe not always.

For the sake of clarity, to me dating usually means going out with one person, getting to know them on a deeper level.  Now, that is very vague, I know.  Normally when I use the term "dating" it is referring to a boyfriend/girlfriend type relationship.  However I know many people just use the term "dating" to mean something more casual.  One or two dates with a person, per se.  For the sake of this post, I am going to use the term to refer to the more casual kind of dating.  Got it, ok good.  Moving on.  :-)

The problem I have found with dating is exactly what the quote above described.  I seem to meet mainly 8-color boxes.  And they always think I am great (not to sound all awesome, this is just what I have observed).  It's great when people think you are the coolest thing ever, but let's face it when you want to dive in and use a different color to express yourself...they get stuck with their "green" and "blue" and "yellow."  Which will do the trick on the surface, but sometimes you need that "Asparagus" and "Blizzard Blue" and "Laser Lemon."  Who wants to spend their life with someone who only has 8 colors at their disposal, especially when you have 64!

8-color boxes are usually very loyal types, which is awesome.  But the mark they leave on the world isn't very great because they only have a few colors to work with.  I want to color the world with "Purple Pizzazz" and "Outerspace" and "Mango Tango."  Use the gifts and colors that God gave to me.  Maybe I do look pretty great to an 8-color box, but when I whip out my "Vivid Violet" and he whips out "yellow" instead of the more awesome "unmellow yellow" to color with me I'll be left feeling silly that I didn't just pull out "purple" and make it easier.

I guess I say all this because I am tired of being surrounded by 8-color boxes.  Granted, not everyone I know is an 8-color box.  I know some awesome 64-color boxes and life is never boring with them.  In fact, I even know a couple 96-color boxes.  Man, those people are just legendary.

Sadly, I can see myself settling for an 8-color box and just calling it good.  You know, just for the sake of having something rather than nothing.  But the more I think about only using 8 of the colors God gave me for the rest of my life seems like the worst punishment ever.  No thanks.  I'm gonna sit right here and keep coloring my world with 64-colors and someday God will introduce me to someone who he is like, "hey girl, how do you feel about Razzmatazz?"  And I'm just gonna smile...