This week was an incredible blessing.
I got to travel with my daughter and her friend’s family.
For the first time in many years, while away, I got to have devotion in a way that felt unhurried. I didn’t have internet connection for much of the time, and so, the distractions were few. Just me, sitting in the back of the ship, in a space that accommodates hundreds, with the occasional passerby.
As I journaled or looked for a word that God would give me, or how He would speak to my heart and circumstances, I sat in awe. The wide open ocean and the wonders that lay below it. A verse comes to mind: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaim His handiwork.
I had seen the same passerby each morning, and we finally exchanged names the day before. On the last full day of the cruise, he came and excitedly beckoned me to come look. From my vantage point, I would have missed it. What he excitedly showed me was the making of a beautiful rainbow.
As we got to talking about life, we recognized how apropos a rainbow can be for the metaphor of life. We had just passed through some mildly stormy weather, to be greeted by this rainbow. As we stood there a bit longer, sharing stories, we were greeted by about 6 different rainbows. I had never experienced anything like that before.
For me, this week wasn’t just a vacation, it was an opportunity to step away from the ordinary and to be reminded of the Truths that God had been pouring into me. I know resets like these aren’t always possible, but if you can, I highly encourage it.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to slow down and to bask in your presence. Thank you for strangers that you allow us to meet so that we can pour into each other with kind words. Thank you for your promises that no matter where we are, that your presence will be there with us.