So busy looking down . . .

We were winding down a busy week of vacation, and had walked down to the pond on that hot, sunny day to feed the fish. A few clouds had floated by in the distance, but we hadn't even heard a rumble of thunder or seen a single drop of much needed rain.

As the kids tossed food to the fish with Grandma, I wandered the pond bank with my camera, keeping my eyes peeled for little treasures hidden amidst the rocks and grass. A tiny flower here, a little frog there.  Then on the water, I saw a shimmer of rainbow colors, and snapped a picture, assuming it might be an oil slick. My mind started to grumble at whoever must be responsible for it as my eyes stayed peeled to the bank and the water. 


Then I heard a voice behind me call out, "Wow!  Look at the rainbow!"  As I lifted my eyes upwards, sure enough, there nestled into the distant clouds was a beautiful rainbow.   And I'd missed it at first, eyes focused downward, even mistakenly identifying the reflection as something negative.  

It made me wonder how many times I've missed God while focused downward on the craziness of life surrounding me.  How many times could I have simply shifted my focus up, and been met with evidence of God in the midst?

I was shocked to even see the rainbow.  The sunshine and heat that day, the blue skies in the west and overhead, the lack of any rain that had fallen ~ a rainbow was the last thing I expected to see.

But there it was.  A reminder that even when circumstances try their best to convince me that God has left, He is still there.  I need only to turn my focus heavenward.