Yesterday afternoon was beautiful here in the Pioneer Valley. I had attended a church service in the morning, and then in the afternoon, I wrote. I was writing something hard, about a traumatic childhood event. At times I wanted to look away from the emotional pain it still causes to remember what happened. But I kept at it, and I wrote my way through, wiping away my tears right to the end.
About the time I was saving my document, David pointed out to me that it was raining out and the sun was shining. So we went out on the porch and watched a double rainbow form to the east of us. When we looked to our west towards the sun, we could see the individual raindrops falling, each a shiny point of light under the rays of the sun. I took photos, which don't do the beauty justice, but they give an idea of what we were looking at.
From our vantage point, it was made more beautiful because of the sense of accomplishment of this past week. David has been working on restoring the second half of our porch. He had been stripping the beam, the floor, and the pillars of lead paint over the past weeks. This past week we gave them fresh coats of paint, and David installed the pillars and removed the 2×6 props that had been holding up the porch roof. So we were seeing the droplets of rain, framed between the newly-painted and installed pillars.
And out towards the east, towards the crossroads, the double rainbow shone down on us.
I love rainbows. They give me such a sign of peace and hope. They are nature's way of reassuring us that even in all the strife in the world, there is still Beauty. There is Peace. And there is Hope. For each person individually, and for everyone in the world.
Thanks be to God.
Somehow double rainbows are so much more breathtaking for me than the single ones. I once saw one from an airplane that was almost a complete circle. And the colors are the reverse in the outside rainbow.
I love showing kids how to make a rainbow when they are playing with a hose.
Thanks for writing about the painful stuff. It is healing for me having been through similar experiences to read of someone else’s journey.
Johanna, I love double rainbows also. I know what you mean about the rainbows in an airplane. Once, on a flight soon after David’s mother died, I was flying to DC. I was thinking of her up in the clouds, and I looked out my window. There, sitting on the top of a fluffy cloud, was a perfectly round rainbow, with a shadow of our plane in the middle of it. I whispered, “Hi Ruth.” I felt like I had just visited her.
Thank you for your encouragement to write through the painful stuff. Right now I cannot do otherwise. For a while I couldn’t get there, now it is pouring out of me.
Many thanks for stopping by.
Speaking of peace- this post is brimming with gentle serenity. Thank you, Saloma.
Elva, it is my pleasure. Thank you for your comment.
This past Saturday evening, after another wonderful visit to Conewango it began to rain lightly. The sun was still shining and in the eastern sky appeared a single rainbow. What a great ending to a great day. I try to always remember what my Hawaiian friends say…”No Rain, No Rainbows.” Tom The Backroads Traveller
Tom, I’m so glad you got to see that rainbow. The fact that they so seldom appear, makes them even more amazing. I love that saying. It’s so true.
Thank you for stopping by. Happy travels to you!
Thinking of you & praying for you… I know how hard it can be to work through childhood trauma. Wishing you peace as you journey on.
Mark, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I wish you peace in your journey as well.
Hi,
Couple weeks ago I had a rel bad Sunday, So much is going on. And on our way to chuch I thought: What am I ding in churc with all those thoughts? Can I listen to the sermon?
It was raining and sunny. And there it was: the rainbow. God knows what we need he he is everywhere.
Still struggling,but sometimes hard to believe, the rainbow is always a good visible sign that He is really there.
Love, Wilma
Wilma, I am sorry to hear of your struggles. I was there just a few weeks ago myself. So glad you saw the sign of Hope when you needed it most. Yes, God is really there, and once in while those signs are there to help us keep the faith. Peace to you, Wilma.
With everything going on in this world we all need a dose of beauty, peace, and hope. Thanks.
Thank you, Susan. I agree, rainbows are like that. I’d say you’re welcome, except this didn’t come from me. It was my pleasure to write and publish this post.
What a lovely double rainbow. Loving huggles too, I understand about the pain of trauma all to well.
Michelle, thank you for your understanding. It was a lovely rainbow, at a time when I needed to see it.
Many Blessings to you.
We had to make an important decision a year ago. It was very hard for me to make that decision bc it involved a great loss for me. I remember after we made that decision with confidence on a rainy Sunday afternoon, the sun came out with a double rainbow shining over our house. That gave us such confidence that we are on the right pace and God will be with us.
Miriam, that is a great story. It gives me goose bumps. That must have been a wonderful feeling. Sometimes God does not work in such mysterious ways at all.