Tracing Rainbows

Photo by Laura Kee Clouse

Do children know eight colors on a pallet hold promise of rainbows? Our grandkids do. Their eyes fill with excitement when they open the paintbox, dab wet brushes into teetering water cups, smoosh bristles over and over onto colors, and stroke paint across otherwise plain sheets of paper. I cringe and imagine the mess, but they don't. They paint butterflies, flowers, animals, and rainbows. Mostly rainbows. I'm glad my grandkids create rainbows. They're lives haven't been rainbow-makers, yet they pull from these colorful ovals great beauty. 

Photo by Michelle L. Smallwood

Did my friend know, when she rounded a rocky curve on miserably rainy day, God would surprise her with this gift? So stunned she was that she jerked to the shoulder of the road, threw her car into park, found her camera, and captured this wonder. God not only painted the rainbow in the sky but also the smile on her face. This friend played an important part in our son's life, helping him trace rainbows in his storms. She knew how. She's traced rainbows before.

Photo used with permission.

Did this mom and her soul-mate glimpse a rainbow when doctor's shared news their child would face storms, as would they? Did she imagine then her arms were filled with promised joy, God's paint already having dried?

And how about the gentleman who penned the hymn below? He couldn't even see rainbows. His finance' had refused to marry him, knowing he was going blind; and then his care-giver sister married, leaving him alone.

O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.
O Light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine's blaze its day my brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow thru the rain, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms
red life that shall endless be.*

Do I forget the rainbows when facing storms, even though I know my great God certainly paints them? So often I miss the joy until I round the next corner, and I fail to acknowledge the love of He who promised there'd be one. I'm such a slow-learner. 

Rainbow-Maker, Love, Light, Joy, and yes, Cross-bearer ~ Thank you for holding my hand and helping me trace what I cannot see without You. May I wait brush in hand so that, when the next storm arises, I'll not wallow but rather sweep color-filled arched-strokes onto the gray pallet and behold the rainbow You've already painted. In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.

*Hymn O LOVE THAT WILT NOT LET ME GO ~ Lyrics by George Matheson (1842-1906) ~ Public Domain

 

Something God Cannot Do

I love to play Scrabble ~ perhaps inheriting this from Mom who, back in the day, became my rival whenever the crossword game hit the table. No nurturing there. Game on!

Times have changed. Mom's gone. I now play on-line with other folk. The tougher the opponent, the better. With these die-hard Scrabblers I must scrutinize every move, realizing one mistake can cost a win.

Ah! I study my rack of A, I, M, L, G, D, F tiles. My opponent plays A-C-T. Opportunity! I place my F on the triple letter spot followed by A-I-L. FAIL. FACT. A whoppin' 32. Then I think, That's something God cannot do ~ Fail. 

As a girl I believed that, and over the decades since I questioned just once. My premise: God was either Who He said He was or He was the biggest egomaniac Who ever lived. Yes, this sounds terribly irreverent; and if I'd truly contemplated the second thought, then I would have been the egomaniac. Ones who've questioned God and determined to prove Him wrong, using His Word to do so, have found they were in gross error.

This Book of books has not been disproved. With there being no error in His Word, everything He claimed to be is true. He Himself is Truth. Thus, He states Who He is and gives promises that will not be broken because He cannot fail.

"...He never fails..." Zephaniah 3:5 NKJV Because The Bible is The Word of Truth Himself speaking to us, I know He doesn't fail. He never will. And so I can rest in Him when calamity hits, as it often does. I can hope in Him Who is Hope. And Hope does not disappoint.

So if you thought God could do everything, you're wrong. He cannot FAIL. That's FACT. And that's HOPE ~ also a great Scrabble word!

And Oh So Much More

I don't know about you, but I've stepped into 2013 with fear and trepidation. And although I know I should not be worried, I am. God knew I would be from time to time. He's told me in His Word. He also promised to be my stay, strong tower, refuge, comfort, peace, presence, and oh so much more.

The world we face spirals downward. The depravity of man surrounds us. We could be consumed, yet God is our all-in-all, ever-present help, shepherd, guide, light, and oh so much more.

Today as I write, this Scripture comforts...

...do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ... And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field ... will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious ... your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow wil be anxious for itself. Matthew 6:25-34 ESV

We face troubled times, ruled by ones who do not honor God. Still, Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. This sovereign, benevolent Ruler will care for our needs. He's promised.

May I, instead of facing tomorrow with fear, seek first God's Kingdom~casting away all that is worrisome. For then I will focus on God Who is my provider, joy, hope, best friend, anchor, and oh so much more.

Jesus Shall Reign

Photo by Dave Bothwell

The past two weeks I've fought writing. Although my head-knowledge shouts God is in control, my heart-knowledge blocks that truth. This trips me, and I wallow in discouragement. I cry.

No, there's nothing wrong with crying. Sometimes it's a great release and also appropriate. I grieve for our nation and uncertainty "we the people" face, I weep for Israel ~ the apple of God's Eye and my sister's adopted homeland. I wonder and, yes, (hate to admit) worry about our son's future when evaluations are less than "flattering." I doubt when my husband's health declines even more ~ all this comsuming me.

Yet my failure to cling doesn't alter the Almighty's sovereignty. It is I who falls short on a morning-by-morning basis. I must cling to the Hope Rope extended from Jesus' nail-scarred Hands to mine. As discouraged as I was with all the above mentioned, I woke up the day before elections with a hymn on my heart and have made this my Thanksgiving praise...

JESUS SHALL REIGN

By Issac Watts

Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run;

His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till suns shall rise and set no more.

To Jesus endless prayer be made, and praises throng to crown His Head;

His Name like sweet perfume shall rise with every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue dwell on His Love with sweetest song;

And infant voices shall proclaim their young Hosannas to His Name.

Blessings abound where'er He reigns; the prisoner leaps to lose his chains;

the weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blessed.

Where He displays His healing power death and the curse are known no more;

In Him the tribes of Adam boast more blessings than their father lost.

Let every creature rise and bring its grateful honors to our King'

Angels descend with songs again, and earth prolong the loud amen!

Great God, Whose universal sway the known and unknown worlds obey,

Now give the Kingdom to Thy Son, extend His power, exalt His Throne.

The scepter well becomes His Hands; all Heaven submits to His Commands;

His justice shall avenge the poor, and pride and rage prevail no more.

With power He vindicates the just, and treads the oppressor in the dust;

His worship and His fear shall last till the full course of time be past.

As rain on meadows newly mown, so shall He send His Influence down;

His Grace on fainting souls distills like heavenly dw on thirsty hills.

The heathen lands, that lie beneath the shades of overspreading death,

Revive at His first dawning light; and deserts blossom at the sight.

The saints shall flourish in His days, decked in the robes of joy and praise;

Peace, like a river, from His Throne shall flow to nations yet unknown.

Follow The Leader

Photo by Laura Kee Clouse

Does the tot in the photo want to catch up with the pumpkins or with his dad? He may relish the prizes they picked from the patch that day, but ultimately he needs his daddy ~ the leader, the one who helped find these big round orange wonders that now have faces carved in them.

I've been thinking a lot these pre-election days. Who will we chose to follow the next four years? What do I look for in a leader? Here are some thoughts:

~ I want a leader who is honest, no matter how bad the news. I can trust someone who doesn't lie. If a person deceives once, he may again. Being able to trust is vital.

~ I need a leader who knows what he's talking about, has proven it, and doesn't give empty promises (which are no better than lies).

~ I desire a leader of good moral character. What is in one's heart reflects through his life and actions, and one's faith guides how he does both. Some say character and faith don't matter, but what seed is rooted in the heart always grows either into a good plant or terrible weed.

This election like no other in our nation's history will decide our fate ~ whether we will journey down a deteriorating path or hope for another period of grace on this God-founded country. Who will I chose?

Photo by Stephen Brower

Ultimately, I'll follow Truth ~ no matter what happens at the polls. Our sovereign God is over all. I pray He grants us favor and once again "sheds His grace on thee," America. No matter what the voting outcome, I have a Leader I can follow, One who will lead me to the heavenly prize and hold my hand the whole way.

"Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD; look unto the Rock whence ye are hewn..." 
Isaiah 51:1

Sunflowers

Photo by Joanna Sensenig

I'm a city girl who grew up in a "brown thumb" family. Oh, Mom and Dad occasionally grew tomatoes in a tiny patch of earth. These endeavors generally yielded little to nothing. I, too, have tried from time to time raising a garden. Sadly, I inherited my parents' gardening gene. Yet I'm still fascinated with all God's given to enjoy in His creation ~ one of these being sunflowers.

Not until a few years ago, while researching a story idea, did I realize the wonder of these giants. I had assumed one planted them to face the direction where they'd receive the most admiration from passers by. Silly city girl! Instead, the magnificent flowers follow the sun east to west all day long every day. That amazed me. They don't stand at attention to me or anyone else, instead, totally yielding to the Creator's sun as if their life depends on this. And, indeed, it does.

If I focus on the things and people about me and fail to keep my eyes on Jesus, I become down-trodden and discouraged. Surely this life yields its share of difficulties. But if I fix my eyes on my Savior, Who is always there and never fails, my hope is renewed ~ just like the sunflower that gathers it's nutrients from following the sun.

Used with Christian Charisma's permission

"Looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2) The One Who died and rose again is the same One on Whom I can depend no matter what. If I take my eyes off the Lord, I sink just like the disciple Peter, when Jesus bid him to walk on the water. As long as Peter focused on His Savior, he continued toward Jesus. But when the disciple looked down at the fearful waves about him, he began sinking. (I'm so like this.)

My prayer for you is that you'll look to Jesus ~ not just when times distress and waves toss you about ~ but that your face will always follow the Son. Then when the travails of life hit, you will still draw life-giving Hope from the Savior.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus ~ Look full in His wonderful Face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and Grace.

(Public Domain ~ Helen H. Lemmel ~ 1922)

Helen Keller ~ Giver Of Hope

Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan

Last week I attempted to eliminate some children's books from my collection. A few tattered paperbacks minus covers and pages certainly didn't add beauty to the shelves. I pulled those first, deciding to read them before discarding. One particularly dilapidated early Scholastic edition was about Helen Keller. Although I knew much about Miss Keller, she being a prominent inspiring individual, I learned more.

Helen's indomitable will fought against her as a young girl trapped in a silent, dark world. Yet that same spirit worked on her behalf, once Anne Sullivan entered six-year-old Helen's life. Helen's parents pitied her and didn't think her capable of living civilly in a hearing/seeing world. They left her untrained. Then Anne Sullivan arrived. "Teacher," as Helen dubbed her, expected much more and practiced tough-love with this child. Once Helen's strong will yielded to Teacher's demands, the young girl soared.

By the time Miss Sullivan had been with the Kellers four months, she taught Helen to finger spell (manual alphabet), form sentences, write on paper in an understandable fashion, read and type braille ~ all this from a child not thought capable of learning. Within the next few years, Helen (who didn't want to be "dumb") learned to speak understandably enough to ones who knew her.

Helen at Radcliffe

Helen determined to attend Radcliffe (Harvard's women's division). They didn't initially want her. Minds changed, however, when Helen wrote to them saying, "I realize that the obstacles in the way of my receiving a college education are very great. But a true soldier does not admit defeat before the battle." She was accepted (with Teacher at her side), wrote The Story Of My Life during those years, and graduated with honors.

Once graduated, this young woman desired to earn her way in life. She did so by writing, touring the lecture circuit, and "performing" in Vaudeville (harshly criticized but wanting to earn enough to sponsor Anne Sullivan for life, in gratitude for what Teacher had done for her).

Helen wanted to offer the world what Anne Sullivan had given her ~ hope. She promised Teacher she'd do just that. When World War II ended, Helen and new companion Polly went to hospitals to encourage soldiers and citizens blinded in battle and air raids. She advocated for the sightless worldwide, raising funds and petitioning for better disability laws.

Helen "listening" to President Eisenhower

Helen Keller, known and respected by countless thousands, held audience with royalty, celebrities, and Presidents. She learned to understand those who could not communicate with her by reading their lips. What a remarkable individual!

In closing, I share with you several quotes from the woman who "spoke" well: "I never fight, except against difficulties ... I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a thought of yearning at times, but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers ... I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble ... Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain." ~ Helen Keller

(Photos ~ Public Domain)