Today I wanted so much to see one of the special rainbows that God sends me whenever something special is going to happen. So I asked for it. Like Elijah I went several times to look over at Semple Cay and at Friendship and even at Monkey Hill, really expecting to see one. But I didn't. And even as I was asking, a thought came into my mind that said, "With all the suffering and distress and loss in New Zealand do you still have the heart to ask God for something so trivial as a rainbow?" But I immediately countered the thought by praying a prayer similar to this:
"Lord, after the devastating flood in Noah's time you sent a rainbow to let them know that all would be well. You would never destroy the whole world with a flood, ever again. But the New Zealanders are now mourning after such a great tragedy. Would you please send them the equivalent of a rainbow to comfort them in their time of loss?"
I also prayed that in case there were still people trapped under the rubble who were still alive after so many days where people were thinking it was impossible to find anyone alive, that God would let them be rescued.
However, I didn't think it was insensitive to ask God for a rainbow at this time. Rainbows always remind me that God is a promise keeper. Rainbows give me this extra loving feeling for God, my creator. God is not limited by the frequency or the intensity of world events; he isn't too busy to be disturbed with insignificant requests. But, evening came, and night covered the day. Still no sign of a rainbow.
Shortly before calling it quits for the night I decided to do a Google search for "Leah"s Rainbow". I came up with the following blog, which at first brought to mind the mug I have that says,
This mug description fits me so well.
http://gladwellmusau.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/married-but-unloved/#more-655
The blog post speaks about a woman desperately longing for her husband's love in her marriage by bearing children with the hope that her husband would fall in love with her. Finally when she realizes that she cannot win his love that way she stops having children and instead she decides she would praise the Lord.
My name is Leah. My story is different. My intention was not to get married, not to have children because of my own childhood experiences, even though I loved children very much. My earthly father figure did not accurately image my Heavenly Father. I thought of Him as a harsh, judgmental God, just waiting for me to do something wrong so he could punish me.
But this God who makes the rainbows and draws my attention to them, who thrills me with his colourful arches across the sky, had other plans for me. He gave me a wonderful husband who loves me so much, who has fathered our three wonderful children who love God and us as parents, and He has for over thirty years been intimately involved in the shaping of our marriage and family for his delight.
As parents we would put a plaster on a bruise and "kiss and make it better." God does the same for us. In this imperfect world we can get bruised, battered and figuratively or literally buried under the rubble of life. So tonight my heart aches for the children of New Zealand--the big ones and the small ones--whose hearts are all bruised. May God who is preparing a new heaven and a new earth come and kiss and make it better for New Zealand, for Haiti, for Pakistan, for Australia, for Egypt, and for all those places experiencing some kind of distress.
Finally, in Googling for the significance of a rainbow I came across the following picture which "incidentally" was from New Zealand:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_At_Maraetai_Beach_New_Zealand.jpg
Love,
Leah
"Lord, after the devastating flood in Noah's time you sent a rainbow to let them know that all would be well. You would never destroy the whole world with a flood, ever again. But the New Zealanders are now mourning after such a great tragedy. Would you please send them the equivalent of a rainbow to comfort them in their time of loss?"
I also prayed that in case there were still people trapped under the rubble who were still alive after so many days where people were thinking it was impossible to find anyone alive, that God would let them be rescued.
However, I didn't think it was insensitive to ask God for a rainbow at this time. Rainbows always remind me that God is a promise keeper. Rainbows give me this extra loving feeling for God, my creator. God is not limited by the frequency or the intensity of world events; he isn't too busy to be disturbed with insignificant requests. But, evening came, and night covered the day. Still no sign of a rainbow.
Shortly before calling it quits for the night I decided to do a Google search for "Leah"s Rainbow". I came up with the following blog, which at first brought to mind the mug I have that says,
This mug description fits me so well.
http://gladwellmusau.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/married-but-unloved/#more-655
The blog post speaks about a woman desperately longing for her husband's love in her marriage by bearing children with the hope that her husband would fall in love with her. Finally when she realizes that she cannot win his love that way she stops having children and instead she decides she would praise the Lord.
My name is Leah. My story is different. My intention was not to get married, not to have children because of my own childhood experiences, even though I loved children very much. My earthly father figure did not accurately image my Heavenly Father. I thought of Him as a harsh, judgmental God, just waiting for me to do something wrong so he could punish me.
But this God who makes the rainbows and draws my attention to them, who thrills me with his colourful arches across the sky, had other plans for me. He gave me a wonderful husband who loves me so much, who has fathered our three wonderful children who love God and us as parents, and He has for over thirty years been intimately involved in the shaping of our marriage and family for his delight.
As parents we would put a plaster on a bruise and "kiss and make it better." God does the same for us. In this imperfect world we can get bruised, battered and figuratively or literally buried under the rubble of life. So tonight my heart aches for the children of New Zealand--the big ones and the small ones--whose hearts are all bruised. May God who is preparing a new heaven and a new earth come and kiss and make it better for New Zealand, for Haiti, for Pakistan, for Australia, for Egypt, and for all those places experiencing some kind of distress.
Finally, in Googling for the significance of a rainbow I came across the following picture which "incidentally" was from New Zealand:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_At_Maraetai_Beach_New_Zealand.jpg
Love,
Leah
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