Volcanoes and Rainbows

Brielle's teacher Mrs. A sent the parents an email last weekend to let us know that on Wednesday morning, the kindergarteners were going to 'erupt' the volcanoes they'd been working on. The parents were invited to come and watch, and so I planned to be there and videotape the event since Andrew and Isaiah would be sad to miss it.

When I walked in the kindergarten classroom on Wednesday morning, Mrs. A had changed the room around so that the tables were facing the entrance, neatly displaying the volcanoes that had been labeled with the names the students had given them. Brielle hadn't told me what she had named her volcano...but it only took me a few seconds to spot hers . "Mt. Rainbow, of course!" I said to no one in particular. Mrs. A heard me and was impressed. How did I know?

Are you kidding me? We're talking about the little girl who asked for a rainbow for her 6th birthday!! I had smiled at the time and had told Brielle that I wasn't God and that only He could make the rainbow appear in the sky.

I didn't suggest we should pray for a rainbow, either...thinking it might be too risky.

What if He didn't have time to listen to the whims of a child? What then? What would she think of God then?

Thankfully, God is bigger than the box I mentally put Him in sometimes. We didn't pray for a rainbow, but He provided one a couple of days after her birthday party anyway. My neighbor Belinda and I were outside in our driveways chatting with each other when Belinda spotted it behind me. I turned around and was astounded by its proximity and clarity! It had to be a gift! I ran in to announce its coming to my sweet Brielle. We ran back out with camera in hand and took this picture of it so we wouldn't forget.

This rainbow taught me something so simple yet so profound...that is, that God loves to shower us with gifts that bring Him glory. Even if it was without knowing it, Brielle had asked for a gift only He could give. She'd announced to her loved ones that she delighted in His design of the rainbow. I can't help but think that He was honored by that request...and responded with the gift.

In her asking He was glorified... and in the giving He was also glorified.

Now everytime I hear Brielle sing the rainbow song she learned in Kindergarten, I remember to thank Him for intervening in the affairs of a 6 year old. In her mind's eye, God has proven Himself to be the Lord of Creation and the loving Shepherd of her heart.

"Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.

These are the colors of the rainbow, pouf pouf!"

I also find myself singing the following song straight out of James that we used to sing in college (Trinity Western University up in Langley, B.C.):

Father of Lights,

You delight in your children

Father of Lights,

You never change, You have no turning.

And every good and perfect gift comes from You (2x)

Father of Lights.

As for Mt. Rainbow, Brielle successfully 'erupted it' that Wednesday morning.

Here's the video: