The first leg of our cross-country road trip took us through beautiful Eastern Oregon. It’s a departure from the part of Oregon we’re used to. It’s mostly farm-land and small towns and long stretches of little else but sage.
As we were driving, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the sage. It stretched for miles – covering the landscape. It was dominant and commanding – common, yet powerful. It’s a dry and prickly plant that is able to thrive in extreme weather.
Do you notice those beautiful dots of purple? Those bright spots of color in that somewhat desolate landscape were so refreshing. They were breath-taking. Cheerfulness has a way of inciting joy. You can’t help but look for those pops of color. Your eye wants to see them. We need it.
The sage and the purple flowers got me thinking about people – the people we’re drawn to, and the person I want to be. In today’s social landscape, there’s a lot of sage. People can be prickly – and it’s becoming more commonplace to find people who thrive on drama and chaos. The world has become a place where having the loudest voice, “winning” an argument, or gaining power are more important than treating people with kindness, dignity, and respect. Too many are becoming the sage.
In a world of “sage”, I want to be the purple flower. I want to surround myself with the purple flowers – and not allow the prickles of the sage to drown me out. The world needs more “purple flowers.” We are hurting – and out of that hurt, hurting others. We so desperately need those people who are the spots of cheerfulness – those who incite joy.
It’s easy to let the “sage” of the world to steal our joy. Negativity is pervasive and noxious. It’s a takeover kind of lifestyle. Let your roots be firmly planted – knowing who you are and who you were made to be. Shine that light, lift others up, treat people with respect, choose your words carefully, and strive to be the person who makes someone’s day a little bit better. Dare to be the purple flower in a world full of sage.
