Martha Rudolph
THE IN-BETWEEN
Sky gazing often grips me with nostalgia. Like a spy peering into another world, I watch as clouds glide through the atmosphere and collide with each other, constantly morphing into different shapes.
The whole scene brings a soothing, child-like calm to my mind. Scanning from horizon to horizon, it always amazes me how different the same sky can look. On one occasion, the sky to the left of my vision held white puffy clouds, to the right, no clouds at all, and the sky in front of me was laden with heavy dark formations. All happening at the same time. All in the same sky. The heavy sky in the middle seemed oblivious to the light shining on either side. It’s constitution was all black and grey, except for the smallest, palest section of rainbow that stretched out from the tree line, faintly shining against the darkness only to be swallowed by the storm clouds. The rainbow in this unusual sky made me think about other times I have seen rainbows appear. There usually is a blue patch of sky, and maybe a mist of fog betraying the end of a recent rain shower. Sunday school coloring papers display a beautifully defined rainbow against a clear sky arcing over Noah’s Ark, just waiting to be freed of its monochromatic existence by an eager preschooler holding a crayon. This is the rainbow I’ve seen. The rainbow presented in the Bible as a reminder of God’s promise and presence. When the great storm ended, God sent His rainbow to shine clearly out of the calm sky. Bright. Bold. Beautiful. Those adjectives do not describe the rainbow I saw that stormy evening. The sky was not clear. The storm was still raging and the heavens struggled under the heaviness of rain. I almost missed it, the rainbow. Dense darkness and sheets of grey rain obscured most of my view, yet it was there. Fighting to be seen. Dimmed, but still shining. As all of creation does when I open my eyes to truly see, this scene pointed me directly to God. I was overcome by how much He loves me. How much He loves us all. His promises to us, all of them, shine true, always. Sure, they are easier to see when the sky is calm, and the downpour has stopped, but make no mistake, just like the little rainbow, His promise is still present in the storm. A promise of hope. An assurance that although the sky is dark, we do not need to live in darkness. There is always light available for us, His children. Not just for when the storm passes, but right now in its midst.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorHi! I'm a mom to four, wife, and Christ follower. Fueled by coffee and prayer, I write about family, lessons I have learned encountering what it means to live a joy-filled life, especially when stuck in between promise and resolution. Archives
June 2019
Categories |