Helen Tyte

Yellow

I was lucky to grow up knowing all of my grandparents. I loved them all dearly, but you have never met two ladies more different than my grandmas. One was a SWOL (sweet old lady) according to her son, my dad. The other definitely wasn’t! One was warm and soft and cuddly, and spent all of her time in the living room with the heating on full blast, drinking copious amounts of sweet tea whilst watching snooker. She hated to cook, but loved my grandfather immensely. The other was thin and spiky, rude and judgemental. She was a great baker, and loved nothing more than to argue with her husband! The soft grandma was safe, but a bit boring.The other was unpredictable, but oh so much fun. I learnt much from both of these two women. I gained a love of baking, a dislike of snooker, and a deep understanding of how a non-inclusive attitude has a very negative effect on those around you and how you interact with the world. I also learned that, even though two people can be complete opposites, you can still love them equally.

The spiky grandmother’s favourite colour was yellow, and this piece by Becky Hemsley reminded me of her:

I looked up the word ‘yellow’ the other day.
I found so many shades of yellow that they had been distinguished by words like
Gold, honey, daffodil.
I found words like fire and sand and champagne and lemon and sunbeam and I even found a song.
Now imagine someone telling yellow that it is ‘just yellow’.
When yellow is a sunbeam and a daffodil and fire.
When yellow is a song.
Without yellow, we couldn’t make orange and we couldn’t create green and our world would be far less colourful because of it.
Yellow’s true colours are not limited to one thing.
And neither are yours.
Some days you are dark and fiery and intense.
Some days you are rich and bright and vibrant.
Some days you are buttercups and dandelions and some days you are champagne and a song.
And without you, someone’s life would be far less bright and far less beautiful.
You are you as
yellow is yellow.
And the world needs you.
Because, no matter what you think, you are not ‘just you’.
You are so much more.

We are all individuals, different and unique, but equally welcome in God’s kingdom, and equally loved. Whether you feel dark and intense, vibrant or weak, remember you are amazing. You are God’s amazing creation and he loves you, and without you life is much less colourful, and far less beautiful.