It’s been a rough few days in our area with heavy rains causing widespread flooding. Several roads near our house are closed because of standing water and the river nearby is spilling over as it takes on more water receding from nearby towns.
So as I sat on our (covered) back porch tonight, watching yet more rain fall, I found myself wishing God would close the floodgates and give us a needed break from all the rain. But just as the thought crossed my mind I looked up and saw the sun in the west shining on the rain clouds in the east and I was greeted with a slow spread of brilliant color.
Pictures don’t do it justice, but it wasn’t an ordinary rainbow. I’ve seen double rainbows, but never one where the two rainbows were touching – the second rainbow starting right where the first ended. It was unexpected and it was beautiful.
As I stepped outside to take a picture I was reminded that we can’t see the beauty of the rainbow in the sky without first experiencing the rain. And usually we only witness the rainbow while it’s still raining. The sun breaks through the darkness and not only shines a light but also gives us the symbol of hope.
Is it raining in your life today? Are you being inundated with storms that seem to never stop? Maybe you feel flooded, like the river, spilling over because you can’t take any more.
I’d like to encourage you to look up. Just for a moment, take your eyes off the floodwaters or the falling rain and look for the miracles that may be happening in the midst of your storm. Their color may spread slowly, and they may even be faint, but just keep looking for your rainbow. It’s out there somewhere, that symbol of hope.
Without the rain you’d never know the beauty of the rainbow.
Brilliant!