‘Sovereign Lord, I put my hope in You…’ (Psalm 71:5)
How many of us, no matter what age we are, don’t stop and point or look up at the sky when we see a rainbow. There is just something about them that brings a smile to all of our faces and instantly brightens up our day.
Over the last week, particularly since our schools closed, pictures of rainbows have been appearing on front windows throughout our towns and cities, including our own community here. Drawn by children they are intended to convey a message of hope and joy in these troubled days. Indeed many have messages of hope attached to them like Keep safe; Keep smiling; and my favourite, The bigger the storm, the brighter the rainbow.
Ultimately, of course, we must place our hope in the Lord. But a time when we are feeling so restricted in what we can do and uncertain of how things are unfolding, and when we are perhaps concerned about loved ones we can’t visit, how wonderful it is to know that our children are doing this to help keep this hope alive and at the same time help uplift us all and bring a smile to our faces – and maybe it is working.
Over the past week in the many conversations I have had with people, despite the restrictions now in place, most people are still in good spirits. Not only that, but they are keeping in touch with one another and, within the limitations imposed upon us, also offering to help their neighbour in whatever small way they can with shopping etc. Effectively sharing this message of hope and joy by living out the Gospel message as Jesus would have us – looking to the needs of others.
Lord, thank you for our young people, who in the midst of all that we are facing within our society today, have taken to offer messages of hope and joy in the way that they have. We pray that You would look upon all Your children at this time and enable us to know Your presence among us in all that we face. And we ask all this in Jesus name. Amen.