The "Bland" Box

It sat there on the countertop, like a locked vault, daring me to pick it up and try to open it. I walked toward it cautiously. I admit I was curious, but it was just a cardboard box, there were no locks or codes to crack…why am I so tentative?  I don’t know where it came from. Shouldn’t that make me cautious? I tell myself that this revelation justifies my timidity. It’s actually feels like a nuisance. I didn’t buy it. When I do buy something, I have a place for it, a plan and purpose…and I’m time-conscious. I plan my to-do list. Efficiency is king, right? Now I just have one more thing to sort through; one more thing to “tackle”.  Funny enough,  I think I recognize this bland box. I saw one like it in my neighbors dumpster.  I also saw a box at dinner as a family sat and ate across from me at the restaurant. No one spoke at the table. I don’t think they opened the box either…hmmm. Maybe I should find someone who has opened one and ask them what was inside. I’m just tired tonight. I’m not in the mood to consider the possibilities.

The next day after work, I walked in the door, set my keys on the table by the door and slid my heels off of my tired feet, untied the belt at my waist, quickly took my earrings off and walked into the bedroom. For some reason as I got comfortable, I thought of the bland box sitting on the counter.  I feel ready to look inside. Is it “comfortable” that I’m feeling, or is it monotony? They seem like kindred spirits tonight. For the first time I’m actually propelled and prompted from somewhere deep within myself…to open the box. It was weird. Every step toward the box brought an assault of some kind. The phone rang, a dog barked outside, a coughing fit hit me so hard I scrambled to the sink for water. What was going on? I’m now more determined than ever. I will open this box. I reached it and quickly yanked on the lid as hard as I could. It opened. In that one moment, my world changed. I was stunned; frozen, just taking it in.  A rainbow of different colors were flowing out of the box, like a powerful river-swirling and engulfing everything in it’s path. It was a soul-awaking experience. The outside of the box was bland as it always had been, but for the first time I realized that my whole world was color-less; black and white-nothing else. Slowly and steadily this rainbow river swirled around me like a paintbrush on a canvas. My life was being colored before my eyes. I stepped closer to the box and my eyes focused on written words. Inside the bottom of the box was written one intriguing line- THS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY.