Moments that "stick"

Throughout life there are certain moments that seem to stick in our minds - moments when the world becomes crystal-clear and everything just seems to line up perfectly, moments when the truth of God's presence is utterly unavoidable. I've found that these kinds of moments happen more often here than at any other point or place in my life, or maybe it's just that I'm growing to appreciate and realize more often when God is offering them. One such moment took place a couple of days ago...

Just down the road from my house is an international conference center for Baptist missionaries called Brackenhurst. Its beautifully manicured grounds, internet access, and good food combine to make "Bracken" an oasis of tranquility and comfort in the midst of the African craziness that surrounds me most of the time. One of my favorite things about Bracken is that it is surrounded by tea fields and dirt paths, creating a perfect spot to go running, away from the crowds of people and curious kids that line the main roads. Tea fields are one of the most beautiful man-made landscapes I've ever seen - picture a huge, mottled carpet, with colors ranging from a dark evergreen to a bright, almost neon green. The fields are cut in regular intervals by thin dirt paths, and the armies of people picking the new leaves keep the top of the solid mass of bushes at a constant level.

On thursday, I was running on of these dirt paths through the tea fields under a brilliant African sun, which made the green of the bushes greener, the blue of the sky bluer, and the rich brown of the dirt browner. I could see dark clouds moving in from behind me, though, and before too long a light, misty rain started to fall. The sun and the rain combined to throw the complete arc of a stunning rainbow over the fields, seemingly only a few hundred yards away from me. My mind took a picture that will stick with me forever - looking down the rolling hills of tea bushes, under the arching rainbow, on to the blue sky dotted with white clouds. I felt like God was smiling down on me, telling me that He is there, because truly nothing else could be responsible for something so beautiful!