There are two ingredients required to make a rainbow: water and light, or more specifically, rain and sunlight. If we want to see a rainbow, we cannot complain about the rain.

Shortly before I finished my workout, I could hear the water pounding on the roof of the facility. My umbrella was tucked neatly in my car across the parking lot. I was hoping that the storm would pass and I could wait out the rain, but after checking the weather app on my phone, it didn’t seem promising. I got drenched walking to my car. Although the ponding on the roadway played havoc with my nerves, I was able to navigate safely home. When I turned down my street, even though it was still raining, the sun came out — bright and shining. I laughed at the contrast between the two opposites occurring at the same time, thinking that God certainly has a sense of humor. Just as I was about to turn into my development, across a backdrop of dark skies full of rain, the rainbow appeared.

I wanted to just stop and enjoy the moment, but I think any drivers behind me would not have appreciated it. I tried keeping an eye on it as I wound my way through my development, but as soon as I parked, it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. The rain was much lighter now and reminded me that rainbows require rain. After a day of mostly rain, it can be easy to get caught up in the challenges of our daily life and especially those things that don’t go the way we want them. It’s like the weather is a physical manifestation of our daily struggles. But the rainbow, because it is made of both rain and sunlight, reminds us that even during trials and challenges, there can be bright spots of sunlight that produce gifts like rainbows.

As I walked from my car to my door in the light rain, it didn’t seem to matter much that it was still raining. God had tickled my funny bone with the rain and sun display, and topped it off with a rainbow. Whatever challenges I’m dealing with, God brings His light to them all and transforms them into something beautiful. With God at my side, I can make it through any rainstorm.