It was one of those days that life was going sideways. Too exhausted to even go out to eat, I popped an easy prep dinner in the oven to cook for 45 minutes (there’s just some comfort in cooking ya know – even if it’s from a box) and went outside to watch the sky. 

I find great solace in laying on the ground just looking up. Maybe it’s the mystery of the big open sky. Maybe it’s the joy of imagination watching the clouds create mystical figurines. Or maybe it’s the time of just laying still. But this day, the sky was a little different. There were two layers of clouds moving in different directions. And it reminded me of my recent days that have been so out of order. It seemed like life was coming at me so fast and I couldn’t keep up. I was on a highway to the danger zone of burnout and distress. My mind was moving in a different direction than my body wanted to, and my heart was having such a hard time finding peace in all the changes taking place in my life.

But as I scanned the skies, one of the layers of clouds broke just enough to catch a glimpse of a quarter rainbow.  The signs and wonders of God didn’t cease to exist, even in my state of confusion and sorrow. 

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, will never cease” 

Genesis 8:22

My season in life may be rapidly changing, but God will remain faithful. The rainbow reminds us of this promise! But the rainbow also reminds us that God has ordained order for this world. Just as the seeds create beautiful harvests, the season’s change without human intervention, and the sun will rise regardless if we do or not…so does the order of our life lie in His hands. He has provided a highway to holiness and on that highway is joy and gladness. Sorrow and sighing will be swept away (Isaiah 35:8, 10b). 

Our struggles are real! But so is our God! And our struggles should lead us right back to Him. He is the One who sets the sun and stars in the sky and the oceans upon the shores. He created the seasons that bring cold and hot, so He can be trusted to order our seasons in life according to His ways as well. We may not always like the challenges that are put before us, but we can always trust in the Promise of God that His faithfulness will not fail. When we follow His highway, our path, even though it might still seem a little bit sideways, will be straighter and easier to manage. God still has an order for things, and sometimes that includes sorrow and confusion for us. But when we look to Him, joy and gladness will ultimately prevail. 

Our seasons in life are inevitable and the outcomes are out of our control. And we don’t always look for signs and wonders to endure. But our promises and encouragements are right up in the sky. Take some time to look up. Watch the clouds. You might just be surprised at what promises God has ordered for you today.