My Gifts for Today: A Double Rainbow /and 3 Gifts in Conversation

"I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth...." Genesis 9:13

"The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."  Genesis 9:16

This is the double rainbow we chased all the way to work today:

For those of you who have been following along on my quest to "Count 1000 Gifts" in 2012 (see www.AnnVoskamp.com for details)...you know that I only started this quest in September, and it is unlikely that I will reach 1000 gifts in 2012 at the rate of 3 gifts per day.  Plus the fact that I skipped a couple of days recently just because I got bogged down and couldn't think, let alone write!  But today God made up for my slack and lack of "counting".  He did something really special for me...and not for me alone.  Let me tell you.

Recently my son has been riding to work with me each day...literally riding with me to work...at the same place where I work.  This in itself is a small miracle (maybe even a big miracle), the fact that he has been working where I work, because I work at a church. Not that he is opposed to working in a church...he practically literally grew up in church since his father starting pastoring at his first church when our son was just 6 months old.  So church is not something new or unfamiliar.  But in recent years, it hasn't been a place high on his list to visit, let alone work in.  And the fact that he has been pretty much unemployed over the past year except for odd jobs here and there, makes it even more amazing that he was able to start working at this church. No, he isn't a pastor or in any ministry.  He is helping to renovate the Fellowship Hall...painting, cleaning, restoring equipment...anything they ask him to do that he is able to do. Wait...this IS a ministry...an important one...and I am seeing him blossom each day as he is gaining new confidence with every task completed....and completed well. 

What does this have to do with the rainbows that we chased to work today? And what about the "Three Gifts of Conversation" that I am supposed to write about today?  Well, maybe I can't put this into three distinct conversations...but I can tell you that God has been doing something special in these rides to work and giving us opportunities to have some great conversations.  Oh, a lot of it has been pretty silly and fun...especially as we chased this double rainbow down the road this morning, taking pictures as we traveled  towards it. (I drove, he took pictures). 



And a lot of our conversations have been about the work he is doing, and the pride that he is taking in what he is doing.  And the positive things I see coming out of this...little ways that he is changing and growing.  God is at work here. There is no doubt about it.

Have our conversations been particularly spiritual? No. Not really. And yet, yes, really. Today's rainbow was a symbol of the promise of God in his life being fulfilled...hope being restored. Hope being restored in me as well. Prayers being answered. One day at a time.  One rainbow at a time.  Every day has been a gift.

This particular job is not a permanent position. It will likely be ending in a couple of weeks when the renovation is complete.  But there will be something permanently changed. I can feel it. I can see it.  God is at work.  He sent His rainbow to confirm it.

 The future looks brighter in more ways than one.  It was definitely a double rainbow kind of day!

Thank you, Lord!!