Rainbows…

With all the storms we have had this spring, we have had some very beautiful rainbows. Last night was no different. I got some pictures… lets see if they come through okay…

 

Leah and her cousin Livia dancing in the rain…

Little boys playing in the puddles…

As the storms in life hit over and over, I am so thankful for rainbows in the midst… and I am thankful for learning to play in the rain…

It was kind of funny last night. Leah and Livia were out dancing in the rain. From the house we could not see if there was a rainbow, the woods blocks the view. In order to see if there was a rainbow we would have to go out toward the road and see it. There were a few of us on the porch, it was still raining lightly, but the storm had past. The girls yelled that they could see a rainbow! Without too much hesitation I ran out to see… my sister, Ben , and my dad hesitated a little more than I did, so I got out there first. When I turned to see the “rainbow” it was just beginning to form and you needed to use your imagination to see it! I yelled to them as they were running through the rain and puddles… ‘GO BACK, IT’S NOT WORTH IT!!” We all got a big laugh and very wet!

Later, they told us again that it was back! I hesitated a little more after that to go back into the rain to see! It was brighter that time though. And I took the pictures above.

This blog is kind of like those rainbows. The storms aren’t always what is being given the focus. The rainbows are. Most of the people who read this know about the storms. Maybe a few don’t. I don’t want to give a false impression of who we are… Our storms have been hard, large, and still raging… so thankful that God sends rainbows, teaches us to dance in the rain, and provides shelter from the storms... many times there is damage that needs to be cleaned up in the aftermath... like one storm we had not long after Rick* left us...

We lost 3 trees, 2 Huge ones, they went over the road and the removal took many hands to clean up... The trees looked great on the outside, but inside they were hollow and rotted out... much like our lives had been. The trees have long been cleaned up, but they are still gone. In their place where one was you would never have known a tree was there. Where another was you have to look close to see where there was a tree. But, where the third one was the grass just hasn't come in for us. There are still many bald patches of ground, weeds, and it looks very obvious that something happened there.

While storm was much simpler to clean up than the emotional one that hit about that same time... we are still cleaning up from that one, and may be for the rest of our lives... much like that literal storm though, some of us are doing better with it than others. Some of us it is obvious that something happened to us, while others you would probably have to dig beneath the surface aways to know that a traumatic experience occurred.

God HAS sent us so many rainbows in the midst... He HAS taught us to dance in the rain... He HAS been our shelter, protecting us from the storms... but it is still raining...

Psalm 121 (HCSB)

The LORD Our Protector

A song of ascents.

1 I raise my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.

4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.

5 The LORD protects you;
the LORD is a shelter right by your side.

6 The sun will not strike you by day,
or the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all harm;
He will protect your life.

8 The LORD will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.

*Not his real name.