Contrasts

Yesterday, my friend on the first floor called to tell me she could see a
rainbow from her window. I ran down the hall to our sixth-floor balcony and saw
it for myself. I hurried and told my husband, Steve, to come right down and on
the way back to the balcony knocked on my neighbors’ doors to tell them, too. We
stood there awestruck by the stunning view (see photo above). Meanwhile, forty-five
minutes south of us where many of our friends and family live, a terrible thunderstorm
raged. I learned later that night of downed trees and flooded roads. I was taken
by complete surprise, since all we experienced were rumbles of thunder and a radiant
rainbow.

That’s how life is, isn’t it? We don’t know what’s happening everywhere, but
only where we are. Good and bad happen simultaneously, from one place on this
planet to another. Even thirty miles away, people might be facing trauma as we
stand in awe viewing God’s colorful creation.

How shall we live with such contrasts? By keeping our eyes and minds and hearts focused on the one thing that never changes—the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, Hebrews 13:8. Here are a few ways we might do this:

• Draw near to the Lord by reading the Bible daily.

• Pray about what He shows you or about what you don’t understand.

• Be attentive to the Holy Spirit, seeking direction moment by moment.

• Pray for chances to share what the Lord is doing or has done in your life.

On this Labor Day weekend, I pray you’ll find rest, refreshment, and perhaps make special memories with family and friends. Most of all, I hope you’ll gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ in church on Sunday to worship and celebrate our wise, wonderful Creator God.