Driving through Rainbows

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of the covenant

between Me and the earth.  It shall be, the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;

and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and

every living creature of all flesh; 

the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh

(Genesis 9:13-15)

Have you ever driven through a rainbow?   I wouldn’t have thought it possible until it happened to my husband and l several years ago. We were driving on I44 just west of Joplin, MO, late one afternoon when it happened.  It had been raining earlier in the day and a heavy mist shrouded the area, when we noticed a faint rainbow hovering low over the highway ahead.

As we approached, it became apparent that we were going to drive right through it.  Sure enough, in just a few minutes, we found ourselves enveloped in a pale pinkish mist in which there were dots of a darker hue. The mist covered every inch of the air around us, disappearing into the ravine on either side of the bridge over which we were crossing.  It lasted for only a few hundred feet.

Neither of us spoke for a moment or so once we had driven out of the mist, and even then, it was in hushed tones.  We had just experienced something rare and ethereal and we seemed hesitant to spoil the silence that had enveloped us.

I don’t expect to ever duplicate that incident, but am thankful to have experienced it once.  I’m still not able to fully describe the scene or the feelings it evolved, but it was something neither of us will ever forget.

Isn’t it just like God to arrange unexpected blessings as we travel down the highway of life?  They may not come in the form of a drive-through rainbow, but whatever form they take, they can remind us that He is all around us, adding beauty to our otherwise typical days. We don’t have to do anything to deserve them; He just arranges them out of His love.

The rainbow was first given, and still remains, God’s promise to never again destroy the world with a flood.  Whenever one appears, it is a reminder of His love for all creation, and His overall authority over it.  It is only one of the myriad gifts He showers on us earthlings.

Lord, thank You for the blessings
You bestow along the way;
the beauty of the world around
that surrounds us every day.
The love of friends and family;
the joys we often share;
little unexpected thrills,
that show how much You care.
Help us show our gratitude
in all we do and say,
by pleasing You with lives
that honor You each day.

Glenda Collins Inman