The other day, I left my home feeling extremely stressed and worn out. The troubles of life were weighing me down-issues with my health, my marriage, work and current events all combined to make me feel burdened and buried under it all. Before pulling out of the garage, I stopped and prayed to God to lift the burdens of my heart and remind me that He is there with me.
I started my drive, still feeling overwhelmed. I have a routine that I find comfort in-I have my cup of coffee and always listen to the Christian music station on my way to work. I find that the music prepares my heart for the day and gets me focused on God. It helps me to live the life that I want to live-one that points others to Christ. On this particular day, however, it was not helping. Usually, I find that the weights of my worries tend to lift and I am able to put my attention and focus where it needs to be-not this day. As I drove, I continued to feel the crushing weights of my worries.
Then I saw it, something that changed my day, my perspective and my heart. A rainbow. I have to step back here and tell you that it was not raining that morning, and had not rained in several days, it was a sunny morning with blue skies- no reason to expect a rainbow, yet there it was. As I marveled at the beauty of a rainbow against bright blue skies, I was drawn to remember the story of the rainbow and Gods covenant with his children in the Bible. After the great flood, God sent the rainbow as an eternal sign of his promise to his children. I was not alone, He was there with me, ready to carry the burdens of society, my marriage, my health, my work, and other worries, I didn't even know I had.
Suddenly, I was filled with joy, an incomprehensible joy that overwhelmed me and lifted me out of the depths of depression I was falling into. My God, he cared for me so much that when I needed a sign the most, He sent a sign for all the world to see (or at least my fellow commuters). I wonder, as I sit here and type this, how many other people noticed that rainbow a few days ago? How many people wondered why it was there?
I love that God does that. He reaches down from heaven, when we need Him and sends us what we need. Few people know all the stressors in my life, I do not share them openly or often. That said, it is a wonderful feeling to know that God knows every corner of my heart and He loves me enough to send me reassurance when I need it. I love that God looks out for us, each one of us. He doesn't expect us to be perfect, He loves us as we are.
Many times over the years, I have needed a miracle or a sign. They have always come exactly when I needed them in exactly the form I needed, and this amazes me. I believe that God does this for everyone, we just have to be willing to look and listen, and slow down to see them.
