Rainbows. I love them. I love them so much and for SEVERAL reasons! Enjoy a little journey through my heart and mind ...
Rainbow Clouds: When I was little we would drive to see family as often as my parents' schedules and finances allowed. I can remember one specific time I was struggling with something (probably how to get along with my sisters) and I was praying to God not fully knowing or understanding if He was real or if He could even hear me. After I stared out the window for what felt like hours pouring out my heart and soul, I begged God for a sign that He could hear little old me in the brown minivan on a highway somewhere between Iowa and Indiana. Within a few seconds I changed the trajectory of my outward gaze and saw a rainbow in one single cloud up in the sky. With the invention of the internet MANY years later, ahem ... let's not get into exactly how many years later that actually was ... I came to understand there is a scientific reason for rainbows in clouds. It's called Cloud Iridescence. But for me, even though there is a scientific reason, it forever became a sign that God is with me and He can hear me. It's extremely moving to me even now at 45 years old when I see a rainbow in a cloud.
Crayons: I have always loved to color. I wasn't always the best at it but I loved picking out my colors, testing them on a scrap piece of paper to see what color they ACTUALLY were, not just what the wrapper says (PS: I still do this with colored pencils) and getting to work on making colors flow from edge to edge on paper. You'll never guess what my favorite thing was to draw ... RAINBOWS. Funny tidbit: I say the colors of the rainbow backwards compared to the average color connoisseur. Since I was coloring the rainbow I had to be certain the purple wouldn't overtake the landscape I planned to color so I always started with purple, then blue, aqua, green, yellow, orange, red, and then pink. Always. When I learned what ROYGBIV was I wholeheartedly disagreed and felt it should have been PBAGYORP ... Purple, Blue, Aqua, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink. P-Bag-Yorp.
Scripture: I didn't come to truly know and love the Lord until I was about 28 years old. As I learned more about the Lord's promises to the people of times long ago and to us these thousands of years later, one of the stories that gripped my heart was the story of Noah. Noah built the most ridiculous boat and more than likely was the butt of jokes in his neck of the woods. He did it because God told him to - and listen - I can appreciate in this day and age with the increase in mental illnesses it would be easy to write it off as insanity, except it wasn't. The flood to beat all floods occurred and guess who was prepared? Noah. His poor wife endured animal feces for about a year on that boat and then the Lord gave them the most beautiful picture ever of His promise to never do it again. To me, rainbows will always represent the Lord's promises and reminders that He is ever present with me. No matter how far under the water I feel, He is there. No matter which mountains I've climbed, He is there. The numerous promises in scripture of His love for us remind me again and again that He is there.
Art: As I've grown to appreciate art and design I can't help but be drawn to things that use bright, bold color. I love color spectrums the most. For example, if I see a stained glass window using only purples, blues and aquas I legitimately FEEL something while looking at the window. When I design quilts or even choose colors to make a quilt from someone else's quilt pattern I can't help but be drawn to "allthecolorsofthrainbow." I don't have a favorite color. My favorite is all of them!
Dorothy: If ever my heart was romanticized in a song, it's when Judy Garland belted out "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in the Wizard of Oz. It came through our 1980's TV in a grainy picture but also in a crystal clear emotion straight into my heart. Dreams really do come true ... I'm living out my dream right now one rainbow quilt at a time.