The Color of October / 2023

I never contemplated the color of my heart until I was 23, walking along a street in Basel, Switzerland.

Jesús and I visited our friends Anita and Martin at their home in Zurich that year. They're about 20 years older than us, and I remember soaking in their wise words and perspectives like a sponge during our stay.

We were walking through Basel one afternoon when I looked down and noticed Anita's wedding ring – a round blue stone sat boldly in the center of a thick silver band. It took me by surprise because, at the time, I hadn't seen a ring like that before. I told her I thought it was lovely.

Anita thanked me and said, "It used to be purple, but I asked Martin to replace the stone because the color of my heart changed to blue. I wanted my ring to reflect this."

I said, "The color of your heart?"

"Yes," She replied. "It used to be purple, and then it turned to blue over time."

She said this so casually – as if I was familiar with the language of color.

She said, "What do you think is the color of your heart?"

I said, "It's probably orange."

Orange was the color I always gravitated to in those days. I was in my peak Instagrammer era, and my eyes were always looking for photo opportunities that involved the color. I even incorporated shades of ochre, rust, or cream into my wardrobe to be ready to "match my feed" at all times.

Sounds unhealthy because it probably was. But I digress. Photography was a new and exciting hobby at the time.

Despite never pausing to figure out why, I really resonated with orange. My heart was drawn to the color.

I sincerely enjoyed the cozy hue and wanted to surround myself with it all the time.

After Anita's question, I started to think more about why orange meant so much to me, and I assumed it was the general cheerfulness of the shade. In hindsight, I think I found the color comforting in a season when I needed God's comfort.

After leaving Basel, we spent the week in the countryside of Zurich – we ate our breakfasts in their garden, took excursions to the Alps, went on long evening walks, and shared a lot of good conversations. It was as beautiful of a trip as it sounds. Martin and Anita were so generous to us broke newlyweds who somehow managed to afford tickets to Switzerland.

During a hike on our third to last day, a bright orange butterfly landed on my finger when we stopped to take a break.

It was so delicate and oddly still. The little butterfly stayed long enough for me to take a picture and marvel at its beauty with our group.

The next day, in their garden, the same thing happened again. Another orange butterfly decided to take a rest on my finger.

Anita looked at me wide-eyed and exclaimed, "I wonder what God is trying to say to you?"

In that moment, I felt such a nearness to God and concluded, "I think He wants to remind me that He's with me. That He sees me and loves me."

All these years later, I finally realized that the butterflies I met shared the same orange hue I was obsessed with at the time.

The same color God used to get my attention was also the color of my heart.

Since that experience, the color of my heart has changed. As a 28-year-old, it's definitely a soft shade of green (see April's color ;)).

But whenever I see a bright orange (as I always do this time of year), I'm often reminded of our trip to Switzerland and that phase of my life.

I remember all my insecurities, dreams, and prayers I had as a 23-year-old. 23-year-old Anna was pretty tough on herself, but she was doing so great.

My experience in Basel and the moments when those butterflies landed on my finger have given me such an endearing relationship with the color orange and my younger self.

Harvest Orange is a color of comfort. It represents the sweet conversation that taught me to recognize the language of color and how God used this lesson to remind me of His nearness.

When I thought about our Color of the Month edition for October – with all its autumn coziness and warm hues – I thought, "How could this month be anything but a comforting, rich shade of orange?"

This month, whenever you see Harvest Orange in the wild, I hope you'll remember that you are seen and known by God. He loves you so much. He wants to speak to you.

Perhaps this color and essay might also inspire you to ponder the color of your heart, too! If you'd like to email me, I'd love to know what it is.

Thank you for reading October's Color of the Month!

I cannot believe we only have two editions left in this series.

Till next month,

Anna