Here is That Rainbow I've Been Praying For

Yesterday I was listening to the downpour of rain. I knew the outdoor event I was attending would be postponed. But, we had seen the forecast, so it was already planned that the event would resume later in the day when the rain was gone. I thought about this old song:
I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright, bright sun-shining day

Oh yes I can make it now the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright, bright sun-shining day

Don’t those words express how we feel when, at last, the verdict comes out in our favor? Or, when the medical procedure or test reveals no disease? Or the baby is delivered after many hours of labor? Or the final exam grades were good enough to pass or even to earn a scholarship? Or any other test or trial that we go through that seems to have no end, but THEN, the bright, sun-shining day makes its way through to us.

Now, we’re singing a song of rejoicing because the obstacles that seemed insurmountable, the dark clouds, the pain, and the rain, are gone. All along God was there and we see the results of the work He has been doing in our lives. Oh, happy day! When we are going through difficult times, it is hard to see God’s Master Plan at work and, for goodness sake, we wonder what benefit could He possibly have in mind in the midst of our trials. The wait. Oh, the patience we must have during the wait. Why, Lord, does it take so long? Again, we hear. “Be patient, my child, I am working all things for your good. I promise you, you will thank me later.”

The Apostle James expressed it this way: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4). Count it for joy? Seriously?

In God’s grand scheme of things…..the trials and the tests make us stronger. Our spiritual and moral fiber is being strengthened. Our story will soon have silver linings and it will be one, not only for the record books, but it will be a story that glorifies God and gives testimony to others of God’s amazing grace.

So now, we carry on. We pick up our swords and our crosses and we carry them with honor to the finish line. It won’t be much longer and it will be a bright sun-shining day again. The rainbow that we’ve been praying for will soon appear. What if trials of this life -- the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are God’s mercies in disguise?

“Weeping may last for the night, but there is a song of joy in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.

We’ll Take the Fast Pass, Please!

This last March, my Wallace Family and I went to Disney World in honor of the 10-year anniversary since Papa (my husband) celebrated his 60th birthday and Alexia celebrated her 6th birthday there. It was so special to be there to remember that special time we had together before. What made it even more special was that the kids have friends that work at the parks that gave us Fast Passes for some of the more popular rides.

A Fast Pass accelerates getting through the long lines by getting a special ticket ahead of time that allows you to go to the front of the line at an appointed time. It saved us so much time that we could enjoy more shows and attractions than just standing in line.

Wouldn't it be great if God would give us Fast Pass answers to our prayers? Wouldn’t it be fabulous to march straight through God’s pauses to move directly to His perfect plan? Of course, if that were the case, we’d be treating God like an amusement park ride where WE were the conductor of the ride, as well as the rider. Both you and I know that God seldom hands out passes so that we can avoid the wait and skip to the front of the line. He is so sovereign and so knows what's best for us that He meticulously plans "the wait". During the wait, we learn to trust Him more. During the wait, we learn patience and determination. During the wait, we tend to DEPEND on His perfect timing. During the wait, we come to realize that the initial prayer we prayed wasn’t at all what we really wanted. You know….that dream boat of a guy we wanted to look our way, but while we were WAITING in line, we saw him in a totally different light. He was actually a tug boat -- not a dream boat! Thanks, God, for the wait!!

A rush through the wait has the potential to stunt our spiritual growth and dull our senses to what God wants us to learn. James 1:2-4 “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

James is giving us wise advice. He’s saying “Avoid the Fast Pass through tests and challenges." The Fast Pass can feel like a breeze. But more times than not, a pause will actually work in our favor. Our faith will mature, and we will become devoted followers of God -- trusting in His perfect timing and plan for our lives. God is the Creator of time. We can trust His pauses to be purposeful and perfectly arranged. God will make the most of our pause, and we should, too.