We stepped out of Cracker Barrel just as six fingers of lightning split the sky and made us jump back further under the cover of the roof. I love a good thunderstorm, but I hadn’t seen lightning like THAT for a long time! I made Emma RUN to the truck. We weren’t going to waste time strolling through the parking lot tonight.
As we drove home, the sun broke through ahead of us, clearing away the clouds. If we looked out the front window, we saw bright sunny skies. If we looked out the back window, we saw the ominous storm clouds. We knew this was the perfect setting for a rainbow.
We watched and waited as my husband drove. We checked each of the windows over and over, our heads moving like we were watching a tennis match behind us. Sure enough we spotted it making an appearance just before we exited the highway! It was HUGE. My husband pulled into a parking lot at the end of the exit ramp so we could admire it without causing a wreck.
Of course my picture through the water spotted front window of the truck didn’t do the rainbow justice. But we sat and enjoyed the view for a few minutes before continuing home.
As we drove, we (minus my husband who was driving) continued to stare at the rainbow. Emma commented on how its brightness made it easy to distinguish each color. I was captivated. While I’ve seen my fair share of rainbows in my lifetime, I’ve never specifically watched for one to appear and then been able to see it end to end like that. It was fun!
Then I realized that people were missing out on our rainbow. The semi truck driver in the parking lot was busy typing on his phone, head down, oblivious to the beauty. As we pulled into our road, I noticed a man tucked away in his garage with his car hood propped open. Another neighbor was working on his yard. Their busyness meant they were missing out.
How often do we miss the rainbows? How often does God put a fun blessing right in front of us only to find us distracted or too busy?
This week, let’s try to keep our eyes open for the creative ways that God shows His incredible love for us. Let’s hear the birds singing His love song to us. Let’s admire the special delivery of a springtime bouquet in the fields. Let’s feel the rumbles of thunder as we watch with anticipation for the beauty of the rainbow to appear.
Mark Cooper says
This morning I was reading David’s description of a thunder storm in 2 Samuel 22. He uses a storm to create a word picture of God’s coming to deliver him. Makes me appreciate the storms a little more! 🙂
Glad you all made time to enjoy the rainbow!