Finding God's Presence ~ Somewhere Over the Rainbow

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor

"Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby..."

The angelic voice streamed through the microphone adding radiance to the starlit night. I had just clocked out at the restaurant and stepped onto the rocker-lined porch to listen to our guest musicians.

"Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true..."

I stopped and grasped the back of a rocker as lyrics mingled with the tears spilling onto my cheeks. Stunned by my reaction, I stood still and let the words wash over me.

"Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me..."

Deep within my spirit I felt a stirring. A knowing. It was the realization that God was bringing me through the storm that almost destroyed me. 

The rainbow of His promises arched above the dark clouds of anguish, bridging the gap into the blue of a new horizon. My dreams that I hold so dear - the dreams that my broken heart could scarcely sustain - were still within reach. God's grace would give me the courage - the strength - to continue the journey.

King David said it best:

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca (weeping) they make it a spring; the rain also covers the valley with pools of blessings." ~ Psalm 84:5-7

My pilgrimage will lead to somewhere over the rainbow where the clouds are far behind me. I'm sure of it because my God is faithful. Though my tears cover the valley floor, time and time again, God's grace has poured from the heavens, mingling with the tears and creating pools of blessing too great to contain.

And just as the darkness of the storm clouds shrouded my life for much too long, I realize it is the darkness of the storm that undergirds the brilliance of the rainbow. 

And it is the rainbow that reminds me I find my hope in God. 

A Tweetable to Encourage Others

Where is God when I've lost hope? @NanJonesAuthor offers a glimpse. (Click to Tweet)




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What others are saying about my book, The Perils of a Pastor's Wife: 

"The Perils of a Pastor's Wife SHOULD end up on a best seller list! Nan Jones has a powerful gift of putting words together in a compelling and engaging way; and her heart is revealed and exposed throughout this amazing book. I pushed aside some of my "daily" tasks in order to read this book all the way through in one day. After meeting Nan at a conference last summer, I had a very nominal sense of the gist of this book and, honestly, I really wondered how someone could write with painful honesty and still maintain an appropriateness that was God honoring. Well, Nan (along with God's guidance) blessed the world with a book full of truth and love. I am not a pastor's wife but so much of her encouragement and her focus on God is easily transferable to my life issues. I will be purchasing more copies to give as gifts. What a blessing!"
Judy Vader, speaker, blogger, mentor 

To purchase The Perils of a Pastor's Wife, please visit Amazon.