Orange:  (+) perseverance: (-) stubbornness, strong willed--Description of the color orange on the Streams Ministries International dream symbols card.

Sometimes I park on the eighth floor of the garage at my worksite and climb up and down the stairs in an attempt to get a little more movement for the day.  That morning my foot hovered on the top stair of floor six, and when I looked down to grab the railing, I saw there on the next step down a perfecly shaped orange.  I was sorely tempted to pick it up and put it in my lunch kit. In fact, for a few seconds I wrestled with my anbivalence and looked to see if anyone was behind me.  The orange was so inviting--a delightful orb of color.  I wanted it.  I could almost smell it.  Orange zest came to mind.  But then I decided that who knew where the piece of fruit had been or who had dropped it.  I reasoned the orange probably fell out of someone's lunch bag.  They were going to be sorry they lost it come their lunch hour.

As I made my way down the remainder of the floors, I wondered about what that orange could mean.  I'm like that.  I ponder on what something unusual might symbolize.  I believe God speaks through dreams and symbols.  I've taken a class from Streams Ministries International regarding interpreting dreams.  I bought one of their dream cards.  I remembered that the card stated that in the positive sense, the color orange is the symbol for perseverance.  Was this orange on the stairs a whisper from God to keep going?  I surely felt like giving up on a book project I was working on.  The cover wasn't coming together.  The latest samples I received from the graphic designer were awful.  I felt disappointed.  I had paid a lot of money to him, and I felt like I might have to "just settle," as we'd been through several rounds of changes.  But there was something about seeing that orange.  "Don't give up," it seemed to say.  "Fight for something you love."  "You've worked hard on the book."  "Fight for a beautiful cover."  "Self-publishing does not equal mediocre work--that's a myth."

And so I persevered.  I gently but assertively fired the first graphic artist.  I got half of my money back.  And then a referral from my daughter opened the right door.  And you can see that On A Clear Blue Day is wrapped in beauty. (Please consider using furtherdesigngroup.com for any graphic art you need).  So if you're at a crossroads today with a project or anything else, don't settle. Persevere.  Remember the orange on the stairs.  Orange zest.  A whisper.