The Rainbow in My Backyard

Jesus is the great love of my life. I don't know if I've ever mentioned that to you. Because I live alone now, I talk to Him. A lot. Right out loud. Sometimes He answers. But never out loud. :-)

Like all great loves, Jesus and I have a couple of special songs. When I hear Jeremy Camp's I'll Take You Back on the radio, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, I stop for a moment and think about Him. It's a personal connection, something between just me and Him. Even though He's much-beloved, it's just ours in that moment.

It's kind of the same thing for rainbows.

Just a couple of months after I committed my life to Him (20+ years ago), I went through a rough time. A really, really rough time; one of those times when you've lost something you were standing in faith NOT to lose; one of those times when you're not sure if you can recover. In my pain, I went to my prayer closet (which was really on the top of my bed with my Bible) and I cried out to Him. After the tears and nose-blowing, I opened my Bible and started to read in Genesis.

"And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you...I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be...when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant...The waters shall never again become a flood to destroy..." (Genesis 9:13-16)

Okay. I realize this promise was made to Noah and to "all the flesh on the earth." But in that moment, it was mine alone. My Savior told my heart that He understood my pain, that He cried over it too, but that His promise to me was that everything was going to be okay; I would recover. And to seal the deal, I looked up and noticed something extraordinary outside my window. He sent me a rainbow.

That day was a profound and pivotal point in my young walk with Jesus. In hard times, I often find myself rejoicing over the rain, and searching for the rainbow. I'm sorry to report that I don't see many of them. In the hardest of times, I've been known to run out into the rain to search the sky in all directions, my heart pounding with hope. Once, I even stood next to someone who claimed they could SEE the rainbow in the sky overhead, and I still couldn't see it. She snapped a picture, and I could see it in the image, but not in the sky. For this reason, I have faithfully believed in rainbows sent to me as a reminder from my God. Everything is going to be okay. It doesn't look like it right now, but hang on. Just hang on.

Now and then over the years, however, I've spotted the unexpected rainbow; and it's always been in times of great turmoil and change. I've been going through one of those seasons lately. It started a couple of months ago, and the hits just keep on coming. A few days ago, I retreated to my current prayer closet (the recliner in the living room next to the window) and I spent some much-needed Me & Him time. I asked Him all my questions, delivered all of my complaints and worries and fears. It's amazing what an awesome listener He is. When I was finally all talked out, I stood up and returned my attention to the wrinkles of my life and set about loading the washer, picking up the dozen dog toys littering the floor, dragging the trash out to the garage. On my way into the bedroom for another load of laundry, I passed the large window, and then I heard something in my spirit.

"Back up."

So I did. And in the next fraction of a second, I exploded with laughter. "You so ROCK!" I cried out.

Had I lost my mind? Perhaps, a long time ago. But here's what I saw:

Wouldn't you have reacted the same way, if you were me? Of course you would!

There's been a lot of praise in my sunny little house since that afternoon. Not much has changed in my circumstances, but the Lord's reminder -- just for me! -- looms large. Everything is going to be okay. Just hang on a little longer. Just hang on.

And so I hang. And while I'm hanging here, I just felt compelled to tell YOU the same thing. Maybe today I'm your rainbow. Hang in there. It's going to be okay.