My Own Personal Rainbow

It’s mid-July and we have been in a drought for some time now. The earth is cracked-open. Crops are burning up. Animals are searching out new watering holes as their regular stops are now dry land. It’s been so hot and dusty…one of the hottest years on record. As I was praying on the way to work the other day, I told God that I felt the state of the world around me was a representation of how my heart has felt lately. There are some situations with which I have been struggling. My soul, so parched…my mind distracted…I’ve found it difficult to even pray. Struggling to form new words–words I haven’t repeated over and over for the last few months–I just thanked God for all He has already done and I drove on in to work.

Getting on with my day, I put these things aside and I did what I do. Leaving work that night, I don’t even bother to turn on the radio. I don’t make my usual “I’m on my way home” call. I just quietly began my silent hour drive back home.

Looking up, I see a rainbow in sky. At first, I just think, “Oh, look at that rainbow.” Then it dawns on me…there hasn’t been any rain for a long time. There’s not even any moisture in the air. So I take off my sunglasses and it’s gone. Odd. Putting my sunglasses back on, it returns. Confused, I take them off again; it’s gone. I wipe the lenses clean and put my sunglasses back on; the rainbow is back. My face broke out in a smile, then, out loud, not really to anyone, I asked, “What in the world? It’s like my own personal rainbow!”

That’s when God answered…

I love how, when God speaks, He can reveal an entire conversation to you in a split second, and that’s exactly how He did this. He said, this thing that I saw WAS my own personal rainbow. He pointed out that the rainbow is a reminder that He will keep His promise. Having made me some promises about the things I’ve been struggling with, He is letting me know He is not a man that He should lie. He will keep His promises to me.

Now comes the laughter. There is a rain cloud forming in my soul.

God continued to reveal to me…my glasses are like His Word. When I see through the filter of His Word, I can see the promise. But, when I remove that filter of His Word…my Truth-magnifiers…I can no longer see it. Keeping myself in His Word, I will be able to continue to see the hope of the promises that have already been fulfilled in Heaven and that are, even now, being worked out here on Earth.

And then, the kicker…He said to me, “I am El Roi, the God who sees you. Even when you can’t see Me, I have never taken my eyes off of you.”

The laughter turns to tears of joy and the drought-ending tears serve as the rain that my soul so desperately needed. The dust turns to mud and the grasses grow green in my heart. Spring-time has returned and brought with it joy and hope renewed.

Thank you, God, for always seeing me…for Your beautiful reminders and Your perfectly-timed moments of divine encouragement. Thank you that my prayers are heard, even when it’s difficult for me to find the words to say. You know my heart and you have searched my soul. You know all that is within me and You work diligently on my behalf. I trust you, Lord, for you have always been faithful to me.