Jan’s “Rainbow” Experience

In the late summer of 1998, my husband and I were returning to Madera, California, in the Central Valley, where Tim was pastoring the Fourth Street Church of God (Anderson, IN). It was late in the afternoon. We had been visiting some of our kids who lived in Sonoma and San Francisco.

At that time of the afternoon, when you’re traveling what seems to be south after Stockton, you’re actually driving on US 99 almost an absolute southeastly direction. This is actually an important part of the story, as the sun was starting to set in the northwest.

The news was sordid at best. Awful at worst, and in my most “Christian” voice, I almost shouted at Tim, “TURN THAT THING OFF!” I’m ashamed of myself as I relate the story, but, the facts are facts. Tim instantly turned the radio off in our car and looked at me with one of those expressions that says, My, I’ve seldom heard that tone of voice.

My bible was close by, and I grabbed it and opened it and started reading. In all of our married life, I’ve read to Tim while we drive. I get sleepy at the wheel after about a half an hour – Tim can drive all day and half the night and not get sleepy. If Tim tries to read in a car he tends to get motion sick – I don’t. So, it is frequently our habit for Tim to drive and I read to him, by the hour. Frequently, it’s spy novels, as that is part of his background as an agent in the military intelligence (I know, an oxymoron, but as Tim says he has spent the last several years working with Christian attorneys – another one). We’ve also read books of theology – which normally tend to put me to sleep. And, some “femmie” books, which tend to not keep Tim awake.

This day, as I started reading my bible – silently, Tim finally asked, “Are you going to read to me?”

Again, in my most “Christian” voice, I said, “NO! I JUST WANT TO READ TO MYSELF!”

Tim was quiet for a few moments, and finally with his arms wrapped around the steering wheel said in a soft voice, “Honey, ‘This God is our God; he will be our guide even unto death.’”

I looked at my bible and said to him, in a rather subdued voice this time, “That’s Psalm 48:14, the verse I just opened up to.”

We shared a few deep stares at each other and looked up to see a rainbow across the freeway. In fact, for many minutes, it was a double rainbow. We followed it for around 45 minutes as we drove down the freeway.

I finally awakened to the realization that God was in charge. I’d temporarily forgotten that, and apologized to God for it, and we truly enjoyed peace, that peace which surpasses understanding, or as Tim says, “That peace that doesn’t make any sense that we experience it.”

Web posted on February 26, 2011