Taking Comfort In Rainbows

“My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky;

So it was when my life began. So it is now I’m a man.” — William Wordsworth

Storm clouds. Drenching rain. Lightning and thunder. A ray of sunlight. A rainbow arching from horizon to horizon. My heart is stirred, my spirits lifted, every time I see a rainbow. Rainbows have inspired poets to write, writers to pen books and make movies, and wise persons to offer words of wisdom.

“There’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

This proverb has been around since the 1830s. Legend leads us to believe that our fortune is to be found at the end of the rainbow.

At times we choose to live in a dreamland rather than in the world of reality. After all, dreamworlds are more predictable, and much safer. The keyword in Dreamland is IF. IF I only had a pot of gold.… IF I had his skills or her good looks.… IF I’d grown up with better parents or in a better neighborhood.… In the real world, folks, there is no pot of gold at the rainbow’s end!

“If the world’s a vale of tears, smile till rainbows span it!” So said Lucy Larcom.

Life, too often, is full of sorrow and pain; that’s real! We can choose to do something positive; we don’t have to settle for a life filled with negatives. That’s real, too! We each have real choices to make. We can make this life better and more livable. A smile can make a big difference. A kind word can alter another’s attitude. One act of charity and compassion can change life for the good. So, if life is not what God intended, or what we’d like it to be, use a simple smile, a kind word and a good deed to improve the quality of life for everyone!

“I will set My (rain)bow in the sky, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth!” — God speaking in Genesis 9:13.

Rainbows are God’s handiwork! God designed the rainbow just as God dreamed and designed everything else in the universe. Rainbows are a reminder that God created life and said, “Life is good! Life is to be enjoyed by everyone!” Rainbows help us remember that God is always with us and will never leave us to ourselves. Each time I see a rainbow, I’m reminded that God is the One who provides me with every thing I need to live fully — the good life! We all need to be reminded from time to time that God is always and everywhere in total control of life!

“Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it!” Ecclesiastes 43:11.

Let it be so. Amen.