Praying for Rainbows

Recently we welcomed a girl into our home. And ever since, we've been praying for rainbows.

Honestly, she can't even begin to comprehend all that's gone on in her life that has led her to be living with us. But from what small glimpses we get from her and the book that goes with her wherever she lives, it wasn't all that good.

Yet she cries for it. Her heart aches for the only life she has ever known, even if it was all too unfair to her. She would sob to me about how much she misses it, sometimes for hours on end. There wasn't a whole lot I could say, so I would pray. And when she seemed beyond consolable, I would talk with her about God, the Great Comforter, and how He hears her each time she calls.

I can't say that it clicked. As far as we could tell, this kid hadn't been to church much, if at all, and didn't seem to understand the point of prayer, much less the concept of God. But we did it anyways. Time and time again I told her that she could talk to God anytime about anything that is troubling her or thank Him for what He has done.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you."

1 Peter 5:7

At night we would ask her what she wanted to pray for. One of the first things she ever requested, other than that we pray for her family, was rainbows. (This shouldn't be surprising...after all, what little girl doesn't love rainbows?) But it struck me in a strange way. Granted, I have been an emotional mess ever since we got the girl because it is a sad situation and we have really seen God move in glorious ways. The Biblical account of the reason He made rainbows is pretty amazing and so applicable.

Rainbows come after storms and are signs of God's promise.

"I have placed my rainbow in the clouds as a sign

of my promise until the end of time, to you and to all the earth."

Genesis 9:13

I know that should she understand in the slightest the implications of that, she would probably see it as this being her storm. That being taken away from her family and the only life she has ever known and being placed with total strangers who do everything differently is the "storm" of her life. I suppose in a way we are.

But instead I would like to think of us as the rainbow. That through God's grace in this place, she can come to know what true love and care looks like. That she can see the storm that her life has been thus far and come to know she is worth far more than whatever things this world has thrown her way.

She is terrified of storms. Yet she doesn't understand that the situations surrounding her life have been some pretty bad weather. Or maybe she does. I don't really know. But I do know this...every day this girl asks me to pray rainbows.

I know it is the desire of heart to go "home" to be with her mommy. I hope to be able to see that happen. Realistically, I don't know if that day will ever come. If it does, I pray she be kept safe from the storm. And if it doesn't, I pray we can help her find that hypothetical pot of gold at the end of her rainbow so that she can feel the Son shine upon her shoulders in whatever her next step will be.

#rainbow #prayer #fostercare #storms