“Be the yellow.” I captured this scene on a side street of a Jerusalem market. Why? Because of the yellow.

The shop doors and gates were all drab and gray. Dim, florescent lights cast their odd haze on the scratches, the rust, the metal overhang above.

And there, in that shaded alleyway, was this yellow, vibrant panel above the entrance of 133.

It made me think, “choose to be the yellow.” That’s my mindset in the midst of dreary days, the scratches and scuffs of conflict and the drab, darkness of cynicism and hopelessness.

In the year before my transplant I experienced some times of pretty severe depression. I felt like a drain on the people around me. At times I felt like they would be better off without me. Thankfully, there were people in my life who brought the yellow and would not let me give up.

Look for the yellow no matter how drab your surroundings. Look for the vibrant patches. Don’t allow yourself to see only the gray. Find the yellow.

And, if you any strength at all, choose to be different. Be the bright spot. Choose life. Choose joy. Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold. Be the yellow.

Romans 12:1-2