Almost Too Much

And like a warrior who puts away his bow and arrow at the end of a great battle, God said, "See, I have hung up my bow in the clouds."

And there, in the clouds - just where the storm meets the sun - was a beautiful bow made of light.

It was a new beginning in God's world.

It wasn't long before everything went wrong again but God wasn't surprised, he knew this would happen. That's why, before the beginning of time, he had another plan - a better plan. A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it - a plan to send his own Son, the Rescuer.

God's strong anger against hate and sadness and death would come down once more - but not on his people, or his world. No, God's war bow was not pointing down at his people.

It was pointing up, into the heart of Heaven.

-from The Jesus Storybook Bible,

Sally Lloyd Jones

I love the Jesus Storybook Bible's simple, beautiful interpretation of that passage from Genesis.

This past Sunday, I got up before the family to take my little jog. We'd had storms in the night, which is awesome. What a blessed thing to not experience drought this summer. Still, it doesn't rain all that often, so it was a treat to go out at near-dawn to wet ground and birds excited about it.

When I got back, I decided to try reading my Bible on the back porch. Sprayed myself with some Off and sat down, coffee in hand. After a bit of reading, I glanced up to see that amazing rainbow in the west. In the east was the breathtaking sunrise. I was giddy over getting to see such beauty all at once, just by turning my head this way and that...

Grabbed the camera and snapped some shots. That's about the time that the house began to awaken, so I pointed them all to the God-glory-show going on outside.

Rainbow to the left (and it hung around for a good half hour! And for a time, there was a double rainbow), crazy gorgeous sunrise to the right, and above, blue sky peeking through.  Amazing.

As we left for church, the sky was doing some strange and interesting things. We were all oooh's and aahhh's. Such a morning for beauty in the sky!

Thanking God for the fresh joy I received in all of this. Taking the little run is a big deal for me - a big, good, small change. To watch the sky dark, heavy, with distant lightning was energizing, peaceful while I ran (and lots more interesting than usual!). Then to turn the corner and see the sun pushing through the remnants of the storm in the east...it was almost too much, in the best way possible. Oh, and when the whole family was on the back porch, viewing all the drama, it started raining in the rays of the sunrise.

I'm smiling even now, thinking of getting to soak all that up.

And even now, I hear our resident mockingbird, whom we've named Mercy singing his little heart out, apparently perched on the chimney.

Mercy indeed....