Hope Beyond A Doubt

Genesis 9:12-13


And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth."


Why does rain seem so depressing? Or at least at this time of year. Is it the combination of cold weather and long dark nights? The night before last I couldn't sleep. My son woke up in the middle of the night and crawled into bed with us, so obviously after that sleep was out for me. So around 3:30 am I got out of bed to do a few things on my "Self" list. And it was raining. Sometimes, when it is a steady rain, I find it very soothing. But this was more of a heavy drizzle, the typical winter precipitation. Great. 


At 5am I finally fell asleep on the couch, only to be wakened by my son at 6am. It's still dark!!! Why in the world is my sleepyhead son awake? And he wasn't just awake, he was wound up. I use this term specifically because when he has so much energy he can't contain himself, he likes to run circles through our living room, dining room, and kitchen. He can keep this up for at least half an hour. This is what he was doing by 6:30, so of course, the sound of his running feet woke my daughter up too. Great.


I was really trying to have a positive attitude to start the day, but I was swiftly losing the battle. The combination of no sleep and dreary weather was conspiring against me and allowing the Liar to steal my joy. Disgruntled, I decided to go ahead and get grocery shopping over with after I dropped my son off at preschool. Ugh. Getting the baby out in the drizzle was not my idea of a girls' day out. But as I was parking in the lot, I looked over the trees and saw the most beautiful rainbow. I actually stopped and took a picture with my camera, but the picture just doesn't do it justice. It's like the rainbow pierced my soul and chased away the darkness. I know that sounds dramatic, but I don't know another way to describe it. One minute I was grouchy and agitated, the next minute I was closing my eyes and smiling. The rainbow only lasted a few moments, but those few moments saved the rest of my day. Thank you, God, for reminding me of your promises to us, your children. Amen.