One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the LORD's
great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I have these verses displayed in my office. As a Christmas gift, how apropos that Ike gave me an adorable small framed print of these words created by a gifted friend and artist. Click here for more details.
These words have been put in action the last four days. As parents we have experienced a humbling and tiring weekend. Phone calls, conversations and consequences have substituted the normally scheduled events. I am not complaining, it has been absolutely necessary and cleansing. It is not a weekend I care to repeat but if necessary, we will repeat but I'd rather not. Join with me now in a group prayer...Please, oh Lord, let us not repeat last weekend!
As my orange hair, freckle-face OS continued the Apology Tour on Sunday, the Hubs and Ike headed to yet another girl's house to ask for forgiveness. I can only imagine my OS's heart was pounding as he neared each girl's house, walked up to the front door and shook the hands of her mom and dad preparing to apologize to the young lady he had offended.
And it was while going "there" that the Lord also placed a beautiful symbol of hope in the midst. As the Hubs drove, Ike sat with a plate of homemade, fresh from the oven, from scratch chocolate chip cookies on his lap, my youngest OS looked up to the sky and saw something unexpected. He saw a rainbow.
I didn't see it and I love rainbows. It wasn't meant for me. Aaron didn't see it and he thinks rainbows are pretty cool. Apparently Aaron didn't need a rainbow at the moment either. I believe that my OS, the one who most needed to feel hope and promise, was given this beautiful sign from the Lord.
I doubt there was an orange hair, freckle face teenage boy in the entire world on Sunday who needed a rainbow more than Ike. Some people might view this as a mere coincidence but not me. Think whatever you like but we don't get a lot of January rainbows around these here parts. According to our Christian faith, rainbows are symbols of God's faithfulness. God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of his covenant with Noah to never again destroy the earth and all living creatures by flood.
In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, John saw a rainbow around the throne in heaven.
And on a Sunday when I believe my OS needed a reminder that the Lord was with him, my OS looked up to the sky and He spoke to my baby. His child. His rainbow. Our hope.
Amen
4 comments:
God's timing is perfect and He chooses to reveal Himself to us in perfect ways. For Ike, that perfect revelation came in the form of a rainbow. God's attention to detail in each of our lives is so comforting and encouraging. Praying that out of this trial, your relationships will grow stronger, with each other and with the Lord.
You are so precious...thanks for the 'props' on the artwork...also my favorite verse.The morning glory is one of my favorite subjects for the same reason...the morning glory's beauty can only be seen in the morning...you miss it if you sleep too late on a summer morning!
Also...your story brings back so many memories for me.Your method of making things right is so like what I have made both of my sons do in the past.
Once the 4th grade teacher called to tell me that my son had told a girl that she was fat.
Said boy found himself delivering flowers the next day.Imagine her surprise when she found them (thought her daddy had sent them...until she read my son's apology on the card...the insult quickly faded away and I prayed that she would always remember the flowers instead!)
Another son told a girl she was something else that we can not repeat here. He found himself talking to a father on the phone.I was so proud of how that 5th grade boy manned-up and faced his transgression!
We never had any 'girl' problems like these anymore!
Here's the sad part, even after my son made the very brave phone call...her family was very 'stinky' about the situation. We are asked by God to make things right as much as WE are able...their response is out of our control.Hope your responses will be better than one of mine!
I was just listening to this http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=1040238
and wanted you to know I am singing it for you! We sang this at church on Sunday particularly for Haiti as it talks about healing nations (and for our own country too, hecks knows we need some of that too!) but it starts like this (don't know if you know it, sorry)
We your children pray Lord,
Humbly Seek your face,
We turn from our sin Lord,
You hear us as we pray.
Heal us, forgive us,
restore our hearts again,
fill us, breathe upon us...
jesus jesus, King of our hearts, King of the Broken.
Amen!
You are just the best mama!
Also, just read your comment on my blog. Definitely get yourself a little Squirt! :)
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