Making Sense – Sight

God has given us the gift of five senses with which we can experience the world around us. This week I’ll be doing a 5 day ‘study’ on these senses. Ok, so ‘study’ may be too strong a word, but I will explore a sense a day just to see where it takes me. Today’s sense is sight.

I think of sight as an artist’s tool. We see and then we interpret. What one person sees is not always the same as what another person sees. One might see the kindness in a stranger’s eyes, whereas another might only see the stranger’s filthy clothes. What do you see?

Through sight we can perceive only brokenness and grow discouraged or we can behold God’s creation and rejoice.

We can witness God’s love in action, or we focus only on our failings.

We can find joy in a child’s smile.

We can see signs and wonders.

We can learn and grow.

We can dream.

Or we can close our eyes and choose darkness.

What do you choose?

Rainbow Faith

I love rainbows. They are beautiful and rare and they hold a special place in my heart. For me rainbows are a connection with God. That probably sounds odd since we are surrounded by God, all of creation sings His name and the Holy Spirit Himself lives within me. But whenever I see rainbows, whether they are huge or small, amongst the clouds or in the garden sprinkler, they remind me of God.

That was their original intention. God created them after the Great Flood to remind us of His covenant with all living creatures on this earth (Genesis 9:1-17). I’d see them and think of God and smile and thank Him. Then I started to see them when I was stressed or worried about something. The rainbow would remind me that God is here and He will look after me and carry me through my problems. Then on my twentieth Christian birthday I saw the hugest, fattest, brightest rainbow I’d ever seen in my life and it hadn’t even been raining. What a marvel, what a blessing. I was so delighted I felt like a little child again.

But then I started to rely on the rainbows. I went looking for them when I needed reassurance. I sought them when I needed to know I had God’s approval. When I didn’t see them for a long time I feared God’s disappointment in me. Then I realised that I was searching for signs rather than approaching God himself.

I’ve stopped seeing rainbows altogether now. I believe it’s God’s way of reminding me that my rainbow faith had become a crutch. It stopped me from putting all my trust in God. Oddly enough, by not seeing them even when there should be one, I am now reminded that God is continuing to look after me, continuing to love me, and continuing to be faithful to me even when I’m not faithful to Him.