OVER THE RAINBOW

Lately, the weather has been slowly but surely warming up and rain has been falling more and more. It feels like we've been waiting for this for a long time after this brutal frozen Winter. I've been looking forward to these Spring showers to nurture the Spring flowers along with the shining sun. While it's not always fun to drive or walk in the rain (especially if your umbrellas like to go inside-out like mine), I do look forward to the rainbows that adorn the sky afterwards.

The rainbow has long been a symbol of promise since the time of Noah's ark. For me, it is a symbol of God's goodness and grace. As a Christian, I know that for the duration of my life here on earth, I will continue to face the storms of life. The storms in my life are often much like those Winter storms that seem to destroy life as the trees become bare and the flowers and grass wilt from the cold. They tend to bring on the feeling of despair and sometimes loss.

But with Spring, comes the renewal of life. As the rain falls and quenches the thirst of the dry earth, the hope of goodness and beauty springs as the trees bud and the flowers break from the ground and the grass turns green again. Similarly, I can trust that despite the deepest and darkest valleys of life, God is always with me.

As Psalm 23 says, God is always with us. He has gone before us, He stands beside us and guards us from behind. And I know that I can trust Him to provide me with whatever I need to weather the storms. There will eventually be peace, comfort and rest.

I don't need to wish upon a star to wake up where clouds are far behind me or where trouble melts like lemon drops. I know that somewhere over the rainbow exists for you and me. We just have to place our trust in Jesus and that's where we will be found.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ashlee O'Neil