"Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard." Genesis 9:20

After floating for weeks Noah and his family finally landed where God had preordained. The door to the ark opened and everyone filed out to begin a new life. Noah went to work and Mrs. Noah set up housekeeping. I am sure they never forgot their experience. God had picked up this family of eight and changed their lives radically.

I can relate to the Noah family. My husband is told to prepare for a move. He announces that we should get ready. We pack. We move. We arrive. He goes to work. I stay behind to get the house in order.

After one such move in the spring, I had spent several rainy days inside unpacking boxes. One particular day at naptime  my toddler and I crawled under the covers, he for his necessary mid day rest and I...

let me be honest. I just welcomed the excuse to escape into a deep sleep, far from the reality of loneliness, loss, and lethargy.

Bright sunshine met us when we yawned ourselves awake, opening our eyes to  welcome the afternoon. Happy to go outside to play, we walked into our new world. While admiring the long awaited sunshine we found a huge rainbow in the sky. There we stood side by side, mother and son, taking in the miracle and the message. 

Suddenly I noticed frustration in my little guy's face. He seemed to be looking for more. When asked to explain his curiosity, he turned his innocent face toward mine. “Mommy. Where is Noah and his ark? I only see the rainbow!”

I did my best to explain God's covenant. Noah had come and gone. Only the rainbow remains as a reminder that God will never again destroy the earth with a flood.

Oh happy day. Even though the move into my new home had begun with days of deluge, the weather inside and out was changing. The rain and the clouds had cast a gray mood on our household. I had wondered - "How will I adjust to my new surroundings? Is there really a future here for me and my little one?"

Now here I had my answer. God had placed a rainbow in the sky to remind me like He had reminded Noah so long ago.

Welcome to your new home. Now

Shine!