Christian Living

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Juanita’s Rainbow
©
by

Stephen A. Peterson


It was another blazing hot summer day in Oklahoma—when the heat of the sun can burn the tires off a truck or car. It was also the day the air conditioner decided to quit working. In less than an hour the temperature in the house rose past 90 degrees even with the windows open. This was no day to be in the house. So the entire family went outside with lawn chairs large and small to huddle around the protective shade of the large oak tree.

The adults sat in the pathetic shade of the tree while the children danced merrily through narrow streams of water compliments of the sprinklers. Time, this day, oozed by like Louisiana molasses. I sat there miserable, immuned to everything except trying to determine what it would cost to have the air conditioner repaired.

Suddenly one of the children shouted. “A rainbow! WOW! We made a rainbow! Dad, look!”

Juanita had placed her hand over the sprinkler causing a fine spray and out of the mystery of sunlight and water droplets, a radiant little rainbow arched right out of her hand to her wonderment. My daughter knelt in awe at it, her eyes polished with childhood fascination. Watching her childhood fascination, I wondered what had become of my own ability to let go of day to day seriousness of the world concerns and worries for a moment, and find delight in a small arc of color from the hand of a child.

At that moment I forgot the uncomfortable feeling and just looked around the backyard. I noticed for the first time how the leaves, flowers and grass shimmered under a golden blanket of the sun’s hot light. I stood up, and knelt down and felt the velvety brownish-green shape of a single clover that had somehow invaded our Bermuda grass yard…studied the flirting ballet of a bumblebee dancing from one carnation to another and listening to the rustling quiet that seems to be the mark of every Oklahoma summer day. And as I took notice of these activities, something began to happen inside me, as if the child in me woke up to a world washed with newness. One thing more occurred. As I became aware of each of God’s creation, I discovered the Creator as well. Even Juanita’s rainbow shining in the garden sprinkler spelled God’s almighty and magnificent name with its colors.

Prayer: Almighty Father, awaken my senses to your wonders each and every day to me and others that we might know your majesty.

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