Rainbows

June 29, 2015April 6, 2016 ~ Beth ~ 1 Comment

It’s been a week of thunderstorms, the short and fierce kind that make us worry it’s going to hail on our newly transplanted tomato plants out in the garden, followed by brilliant sunshine that turns the freshly soaked landscape into a saturated sparkling sweep of color. It’s been glorious to watch the great white-topped thunderheads float by, billowing and building miles high, and watch the rain sweep in, pounding the earth. But most splendid of all have been the rainbows.

Multiple rainbows. Double rainbows. Bright rainbows. Pale rainbows. Whole, unbroken rainbows. Barely-there-against-the-pink-of-sunset-cloud rainbows. Pieces of rainbow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many in one week!I find it ironic that physical rainbows have been so prevalent on a week when symbolic rainbows are creating such excitement and discussion in the news.

You know, the rainbow has been symbolic since long before any humans claimed it for their own personal causes. In fact, it was one of the very first symbols designated in history of the world, by God Himself. It starts out as a sad story—sin is rampant on the earth and God in His righteous anger sweeps it clean with a flood. But it has a happy ending. He preserves one godly family and two of every animal and brings them back to safety when the cleansing flood has receded. He leaves them with a promise never to destroy the earth again in this manner—and the gift of a stunning sign in the heavens.

“And God said,

“This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:

I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 9:12-15)What I find particularly beautiful about this is that God didn’t just give this sign as a reminder to us of His promise. He also gave it as a sign to remind Himself of His promise. Every time He sees a rainbow, He remembers, too.

And so, in the midst of all this talk of rainbows, and in the wake of storms natural and spiritual, I find my mind turning not to modern connotations, but to the fact that God is faithful. Because this is what a rainbow really represents:

That He is in control.

That He made the earth and all that is in it.

That He can destroy it or He can preserve it—the choice and the power are His.

That He is righteous and just—and that He is also merciful.

That He keeps His promises. When you think about rainbows this week, remember that.

Fatherly Vigil

June 20, 2015September 10, 2015 ~ Beth ~ 2 Comments

On this eve of Father’s Day, may I introduce you to the fiercely territorial and stunningly handsome patriarch of our small lake? His lovely lady is very capable of expressing herself as well, and they often do so together, the sound of their great wings echoing all over the nearby countryside as they trumpet indignantly at any unwanted visitors to their little realm. But right now, she’s busy with other things.

Cleverly located so it’s accessible only by water or treacherous swamp, they’ve built a nest and she spends most of her time hidden away there, lovingly incubating a yet-unknown quantity of precious eggs with the heat of her body. That is her work—and we eagerly anticipate seeing the rewards of her patience soon when they bring their new family out to show off to the neighbors they tolerate (us and the ducks).

But papa has a job, too. By day, he nervously patrols the area, watching for danger. At night, he often rests in this perch away from the nest, careful not to draw undue attention to the place he is guarding, yet close enough to be ever watchful and ready to rush to the rescue. He is the protector—and I have no doubt he would put his life on the line for his offspring should the need arise (though you won’t catch me getting close enough to those powerful wings to find out!).

There are a couple fathers/grandfathers in my life, who I also happen to love very much, who would do the same—and today I wish a Happy Father’s Day to these very special men. As you protectively love your families you model the infinitely greater love of our Heavenly Father, and we are so grateful!

“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” (Psalm 103:13)

6:36 AM

June 12, 2015September 10, 2015 ~ Beth ~ 1 Comment

This is only a tiny slice of the beauty of this morning.

No camera can capture the feel of cool morning dew on bare feet, or the warmth of the rising sun on my face as it burnt through the swirling mists on the lake.

You can’t know that sky high over my head was patterned with a magnificent rippling pattern of cirrocumulus clouds, all shining and white.

Perhaps a video recording might capture the liquid trilling flute of red-winged blackbirds, the trumpeting of many swans and the distant drumming of a grouse that blended in symphonic harmony all around me—but I doubt it would do it justice.

If you looked very closely, you might be able to tell that there is a miniature scene inside every single one of those water droplets, that, if magnified, would be a sparkling world of a thousand blades of grass strung with more pearls of dew with a million more worlds inside.

These pictures are a lovely glimpse of this moment in time, 6:36 AM—but there was so much more.

That’s kind of how it is with heaven. We read about streets of gold and robes of white and singing praises around the throne of God, but they are all only glimpses into wonders that we can’t even imagine. Lovely glimpses, yes—but there will be so much more. I can hardly wait!

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully…” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Wild Calla Lilies

June 9, 2015September 10, 2015 ~ Beth ~ 2 Comments

I was never overly fond of calla lilies—until the summer we moved to our current home and I found them growing wild in the swamp down the road. They quickly became my favorite new flower. They are much more diminutive version of the cultivated versions, little white points of petals peeking out from amidst the brilliant green of arrow-shaped leaves, growing up all along the watery edges of still brackish pools. They bloom just as the lilacs are beginning to fade, so it’s become my tradition to walk down and pick a handful of these when it comes time to replace the wilting lilac bouquet on our table. There are so many of them in this spot, I call it the Calla Lily Pools—it’s so lovely!

“Why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all His glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:28-29)