God Made the Colors...For You & Me

It was the 1970's and a duo who called themselves 'Gospel Seed' wrote the following lines. A song that I have likely quoted more than any other. Thank you Gary and Mike.

Golden Chain

"God made the colors for you and me, beautifully for us to see, glad He didn't it black and white, much to our delight. God put the colors in the red red rose and in the green of the grass that grows, and all the colors of the butterfly as they go fluttering by.

But the colors I love best is when I lay my head to rest, is watching while clouds go floating by on the blue color of the sky. La la la la la la la la la la la...la la la la la la la la la la la...la la la la la la la la la la la...Colors are yours and mine.

Orange is the color of the fruit on the tree, pick it and eat it so naturally, purple is the color of the grape on the vine, colors are yours and mine.

But the colors I love best is when I lay my head to rest, is watching white clouds go floating by on the blue color of the sky. La la la la la la la la la la la...la la la la la la la la la la la...la la la la la la la la la la la...Colors are yours and mine."

Song by Gary Luttrell and Mike Moore 1977

In our busy, chaotic life where circumstance and routine can rule, we lose the wonder of all that is around us...Like the flavor of food, the laughter of a baby, the smile of a grandmother, the sound of the waves crashing or the trickle of a creek. They are all wonders that are ever around us. Such is the case for color. These colors are just around my own yard here in Oregon. Distance is not required in order to appreciate wonder. Blessings!

Gordon Menveg — A Quiet Hero Remembered

PVT US Army Air Corps

Veterans Day — November 11, 2015

Gordon Menveg was my grandfather, the husband of my beloved Nana.

Although they were married for less than twenty years, and Gordon passed away on my birthday in 1990, nearly twenty years before Nana would breathe her last, he always remained her sweetheart.

And so, on this Veterans Day 2015, I want to pause and remember a man whose service, sacrifice, and quiet strength deserve to be honored.

During the final twelve years of Nana's life, I had the privilege of traveling to visit her one to three times each year, helping with the occasional needs around her home. Those visits were always special, often filled with stories and reflections from her many years of life, including the years she shared with Gordon.

But there was one chapter of his life that remained largely untold.

His time in the United States Army.

Gordon's plot South of Las Vegas

You see, Gordon seldom, if ever, spoke of those days. Not even to Nana. She knew very little about what he had experienced, only that his military service had affected him deeply.

What I do know is that Gordon lived with a limp and suffered seizures, both understood to be the result of his time in the Army.

Yet, in all the years I knew him, I never once heard him complain.

No grand stories of bravery. No recounting of battles or hardships. No desire for recognition. Just a quiet man who had served his country, carried the lasting effects of that service, and continued on with life.

Perhaps some memories were simply too difficult to revisit. Perhaps silence was his way of living with what he had experienced.

I will never know.

Grandkids ponder Gordon's and Nana's graves

But I do know this: His silence did not diminish his sacrifice.

On Veterans Day, we rightly remember the men and women who stood in difficult and often dangerous circumstances in service to our nation. Some returned with stories to tell. Others returned carrying burdens they seldom, if ever, spoke about.

My grandfather was one of those men.

Gordon Menveg was a veteran. He was Nana's sweetheart. He was my grandfather. And to me, he was a hero.

Thank you, Grandpa Gordon, for your service, your sacrifice, and the quiet example you left behind.

You are remembered.

 

Note: Though I agree greatly with Lee Greenwood and his beautiful song, I do pray for God's blessing on all of His creation.