The Color of Certainty

Dear Mission Family,

If you’ve lived for more than a few minutes on this planet you know how quickly things can change in our lives. One moment you may be cruising along without a care, and the next you find yourself facing an immense crisis. This past week a family that we dearly love experienced just such a moment in their lives. Many of you reading this message were called upon to pray for young Daniel Duncan after he had been seriously injured in a mishap on his All-Terrain-Vehicle. He left home on his motorized journey never suspecting that the next vehicle he would be riding in would be a helicopter, airlifting him to a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. As I record these words, Daniel lies in an operating room where surgeons are placing a tube to allow excess fluids to flow from within his skull. Before you get too far ahead of me, this isn’t going to be a message about the uncertainty of life. Rather, it will focus on “certainty”.

In response to my calls, enlisting an army of prayer warriors to intercede for Daniel, one of my daughters sent me an email telling us of her engagement in this spiritual effort. In her note she assured me of her dedication to bring Daniel’s need before the Throne of God, and she added a personal observation. She said, “…as I was praying for the family this afternoon God showed me a glimpse of a real rainbow in our otherwise rainy and dreary sky. It was absolutely breathtaking and I saw it only for an instant and then it was gone. I'm not claiming anything prophetic… I just thought the timing of it was interesting.”

As I meditated on what my precious child had shared I felt God’s Spirit tugging at my heart. Michelle had realized the presence of the rainbow for only “an instant and then it was gone”. Why was that? Did the source of that visual display of color in the heavens suddenly disappear? I wasn’t much of a science student, but I seem to remember that a rainbow often materializes when the sun’s light is refracted through moisture in the air. Once the rainbow fades from sight, does the light that created it also cease to exist? Of course not! If the radiance of the sun were to ever cease, we would all perish very quickly. Even during the hours of darkness that accompany our evenings, the penetrating light of that gaseous orb is still sustaining life on this planet. And we often see the evidence of the sun’s presence at night as we gaze upon our moon- an object in space that reflects the sun’s power, emitting no light of its own.

Pondering the beauty of a rainbow I considered its composition. As our eye embraces this wonderful sight we seldom, if ever, think about the water vapor and heavenly illumination that produce such a spectacle. Instead, our attention is riveted on the display of numerous colors that greet us. Moving across the spectrum, from deep reds to the darkest violets, our spirits are lifted by the very existence of this brief visual gift from God.

The scriptures speak only a few times of rainbows. Most of you know that God used this manifestation of light to signify His Holy Covenant with the living things of the earth (Gen. 9:12-15). The Prophet, Ezekiel, spoke of a rainbow while attempting to describe his vision of a heavenly being “surrounded by radiance” (Ezek. 1:25-28). The final book of our Bible, the Revelation of John, presents us with a picture of our Lord seated on a throne with “a rainbow, resembling an emerald, (encircling) the throne” (Rev. 4:1-3).

Envisioning the rainbow once again, I focus on the various bands of color. I’m touched by how they represent the presence of God’s Love in our lives. Each separate hue speaks to me of our Lord’s ability to meet us at any point in our distress. The color red might represent the moment that He came alongside Daniel, as he lie bleeding on the ground. Or deep violet may speak of the many times that Jesus has stood by me during those dark moments when depression would pay me a most unwelcome visit. Just as the rainbow becomes, if only so briefly, a reminder of the colors of creation, so we are reminded by its very presence that our Creator will meet us at any point that we might find ourselves. There is no circumstance, no matter how devastating, where the “Color of God’s Love” cannot reach. And the most encouraging aspect of the rainbow is that even when the visual display has faded, the power that brought it into being- the full spectrum of the Light of God’s Love- is still present. Daniel Duncan should return home in the near future. I am anxious to speak with him and hear of how it is that he witnessed the Color of God’s Love in his experience.

As I conclude this month’s message I would like to remind you of something. A rainbow doesn’t only appear during times of great storms. I often stand in the drenching spray of the waterfalls located on the Cumberland River near our home. In this serene setting I can witness numerous rainbows forming in the bright blue sky. And if you think that a direct beam of sunlight is necessary for the formation of this symbol of hope, try visiting these falls during the phase of a full moon. Our “moonbows” will move you to a new appreciation for the presence of God- at all times!

The Lord has smiled on our ministry with a fresh new color this month. Elyse Benson, from Elmhurst Illinois, has agreed to work as an intern with our ministry. She plans to labor with us until Christmas, aiding our work here in the hills and hollers, and seeking growth and direction from the Lord for her personal life. Please remember to pray for Elyse as she serves our King and the people of this county.

Thank you very much for continuing to stand by us as we “bring church” to McCreary County, Kentucky. Your support of this ministry is vital to the work at hand. We love and appreciate each of you so very much.

Comforted by His Loving Rainbow… Jim and Rita