I woke to gray drizzle, a monotonous spray of water from the
sky, not even so precise as to truly form raindrops that might pat or splash on
a window or a sidewalk, but just a constant haze of colorlessness and water
filling the air. This wetness continued until late afternoon, when I
saw streams of light peeking over the trees. The light was bright and
noticeable, and I found myself remarking to my kids that if the clouds parted
just a bit more and the sun came out, there was a good chance we might see a
rainbow.
As I said it, I was struck by the fact that it had been a
long time since I’d looked at a storm cloud and anticipated a rainbow. I caught myself by surprise at the realization that a
colorful arc is the inevitable outcome when water in the air is caught by rays
of light.
As a child, didn’t you always look for a rainbow at the end
of a storm? Weren’t you aware of the existence of rainbows always, their
presence a sure thing? The little girl I was took every opportunity to find the
shimmery bows and I always reminded myself that they meant that God always keeps
His promises.
I realized that, lately, I haven’t been looking for rainbows. Not in the
sky after a rainstorm, and not in my life with God. I’ve been living in a gray,
muggy haze with Him, a place where I know He is there, but I’ve lost confidence
that we’re moving toward a moment where this sogginess will encounter light and
be transformed into beauty. I haven’t been looking at life’s thunderheads with
anticipatory joy, knowing there’s beauty to come once this storm has passed. I’ve
lost touch with the notion that with the rainbow comes the assurance of God’s
promises. The little girl I was, the one who searched the skies expectantly,
has gone missing.
God got my attention today. While we didn’t actually see a
rainbow before the sun set, I’m choosing to believe that doesn’t mean there
wasn’t one. I know that God wants me to be on the lookout for the ways He keeps
His promises—both in the sky, and in my life. I had the opportunity today to be
reminded of this and of His love for me.
Will you join me in looking for rainbows—the ones that race
across the heavens as the rain is passing and the ones that mark your heart as
you see God’s promises come to fulfillment in your life? When we see that He
takes the elements of our storms and submits it to His light, we are assured
that He is making things new and beautiful. That’s a promise we can cling to.
When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I’ll
see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living,
every last living creature on Earth.—Genesis 9:16 MSG
Than you for this. For the past couple of nights I have told my son a bedtime story about walking into the colors of a raibbow. I now have a new turn of thestory to add for tonight. And a new perspective for myself on this rainy day.
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