What exactly is a rainbow?
“Look at that!”, Madylynn exclaimed on our way to school this morning. Her words were so quick and excited that I almost dumped the coffee I was sipping on.
“What are you talking about?” I said. “I don’t see anything.”
“Look over there! It’s a rainbow!”
Sure enough…there it was…hovering over the road we were driving on. Without thinking, I said, “It isn’t rainy this morning, but there must be enough moisture in the air to reflect and refract the light within the water droplets in the air.”
<Insert nerd moment here>
We kept on going, not giving it another thought or comment. I dropped Jalynn and Madylynn off at the high school and headed to the church. We may have driven away from the rainbow, but it was still with me.
Now I’m no meteorologist, but I think I get the general gist of a rainbow. Sunlight enters a water droplet in the air, and part of the light is reflected and refracted. Some of this light is reflected between 0 and 42 degrees, with the most intense light around 40 and 42 degrees. This process acts like tiny prisms causing different colors to emerge, typically red and violet being the most intense.
<For you true meteorologists out there, have grace. I think I’m close enough for this post>
So, how does this help me?
Great question! It doesn’t. Well, unless you’re a meteorologist or other scientist!
My point for bringing it up is discovered within my own conviction. The wonder of a rainbow was not so wondrous this morning. Why? I think partly because I could explain it, take it apart, understand it (at least as much as my little brain can). I’ve seen hundreds of them. They aren’t anything new. I’m used to seeing them.
Now so much can be learned when we understand something, and I’m all for seeing the wonder of God through the incredible gift of science. Listen to Louie Giglio’s message How Great is Our God and his golf ball analogy. It’s great! But in this instance, this morning, for me (and I’m betting I’m not alone), it dulled the amazing. The wonder of it all sort of becomes something less.
Easter Season
We’re in the season of Easter. It’s the time when we celebrate the mission of Jesus…His death, burial, and resurrection. The single event provides the vehicle for God’s grace and relationship with Him. It reconciles us with God, meaning we are no longer at odds with God. At the point of our salvation, we become His children and co-heirs with Christ. All the wrong things we’ve done are forgotten by Him. Forgiven. Just as if they never happened.
Think about that for a moment.
In fact, that’s the only point of this post…to think about what salvation is, what it cost, the extent of the love poured out.
I can explain God’s plan of salvation in several different ways. I understand it (at least at a human level). I can describe its parts. I’ve experienced it. And because I’m not perfect, I’ve experienced what it provides multiple times over – grace and forgiveness.
I think what I’m trying to say is this. I’ve gotten comfortable in my salvation. Much like the comfiness of the rainbow, I’m used to it. And the wonder, awe, amazement, and humility has dulled over time – not due to anything God has done, but what I’ve neglected – staying in awestruck wonder at what God, through Jesus, did for me.
And what He did for you.
I don’t ever want to NOT be in awestruck wonder of God’s gracious work in my life. I’m praying for renewed eyes. Ones that aren’t dulled with time but refreshed daily with how amazing His grace is, how incredible a rainbow looks, and how indescribable He truly is.
So my challenge for you is this. Soak it in. No, drown yourself in the truth of what Jesus did for you. Jump in headfirst and get so saturated with Jesus that people can’t miss Him all over you! Pray expectingly for renewed eyes. Look around! The world God created for us is nothing short of incredible – astounding!
And not just rainbows. They’re super cool! Love them! Love the promises of God they remind me of. What about the transformation from winter to spring? Or the warmth of the sun? The miracle of birth? The things that just blow your mind! They point to a loving and gracious God who gave all so that you could have all…all of Him.
That’s remarkable right there and worth a moment a day just to bask in, soak in, and be amazed all over again!
You are loved!
