Unless you see it, it’s hard to grasp. That’s a bit of an understatement because I’m talking about an amazing double rainbow that spanned the entire county, from north to south I experienced a couple weeks ago. No, there wasn’t a pot of gold, though my original comment would imply to that. I’m talking about the beauty, the brilliance of colors, the power of the ever-shifting clouds that stretched from earth to what seemed way beyond the sky. And I wasn’t stationary as I enjoyed this beauty. During the course of my work, I literally went from one corner of the county to the other, and around every corner I turned, every hill I passed it was still there, but changed somehow. If I were to pick the best spot to capture the beauty of that rainbow and storm system, I couldn’t do it. It’s like picking your favorite Christmas card from a class of Kindergartners! Each one is unique and different, and you want to share them with everyone so they can enjoy them too!

The awesome beauty and power in that rainbow reminded me of “hope.” Hope is something that is powerful, invigorating, beautiful and plentiful, ever-changing with the scenery but always the same. It’s something you can hang on to when times are tough. It’s there waiting for you to look up and change your perspective on life when you’ve had a season of just trudging through, and it follows you, whether you see it or not. And no matter what, once you’ve looked up and opened your eyes, that hope fills you and gives you a deep satisfaction and fills places in your heart you didn’t know needed filling.

I wish I could share it, but just like a rainbow, you can’t just put “hope” in your pocket and share it. Each person has to choose to step out of their comfort zone and look up, and when you do – enjoy the view, but consider discovering all the angles and absorbing the vastness and beauty hope has to offer, ‘cause whether you are going through hard times or just want to breathe in that life-giving freshness, keep reaching up and don’t let go. You may find your own treasure that can keep you hanging on.

Isaiah 40:31 “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”