Look for the Rainbow

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. ~G.K. Chesterton

The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears. ~John Vance Cheney

God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us — in the dreariest and most dreaded moments — can see a possibility of hope. ~Maya Angelou

I love rainbows!  I like to see the bright colors boldly displaying themselves against the background of the dark sky.  The sun never actually stops shining, even in the midst of a terrible storm.  I love seeing what can happen when the sun stretches its rays through the dark rain clouds and pushes light through the many drops of water hanging in the air.  I love the way the colors shout that, yes, light has appeared in the midst of darkness and, no, the rain is not here to stay.

Rainbows always make me smile.  They are beautiful reminders of the promise God made to Noah after the flood, and a reminder that God’s promise was made for us too.  For me, rainbows are also symbols of God’s love bringing joy in the midst of life’s storms.  God is always shining the light of His love upon us, but we might not see that light when we are overwhelmed by the darkness of loss, anger, rejection, etc.  We can only see that light when we allow God’s love to open up a hole in the clouds that surround us.  We can only see the beautiful colors in the rainbow of God’s love, when we allow His light into our lives.  And we can only see the rainbows God gives us when we remember to look up toward the One who is the Source of that light.

My best friend is having a storm and rainbow kind of week.  After arriving in town to help prepare for and celebrate her youngest son’s wedding, she discovered that her younger brother was even more ill than she knew.  He had been diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and was undergoing treatments.  He was weak and frail when she saw him, and a few days after she arrived in town, her brother lost his battle.  I feel sure that she, and all of her siblings, felt the dark clouds rolling in, ready to block out all the light.  But my friend is a woman with a strong faith in God, and the mother of a son about to embark on an exciting new path in life.  She has pushed away some of the the clouds to let the light of God’s love shine through.  I believe that today’s wedding will be a brightly colored rainbow in the midst of her storm of loss.

I know that in the weeks to come, the clouds will return from time to time, but I believe my friend will always be able to find a rainbow when she needs it.  She may find one in the light God sends directly to her heart, or in the light sent through the love of friends and family.  She may find a rainbow in the words of encouragement and hope found in Scripture, the prayers of people that know her, and the prayers of those who do not.  She may even find one in a kind word or deed from a stranger.  Please pray for my friend and her family.

Do you look for rainbows when the storms of life threaten to overwhelm you?  I believe you will find one if you allow God’s love and light to break through the clouds.