Several years ago, my husband and I took our daughter of
18 to college for the first time. As we approached the
school which was located about 150 miles from home, I began
to notice that she became quiet. Thinking that she was just
caught up in her excitement about the coming school year, I
just overlooked her mood. We found her dorm and registered
her into the school at registration, then proceeded to go to
her dorm room and unpack her things. She had a few cousins
there who also were attending the same school, so it seemed
that things were moving right along. That was, until...her
dad and I began to say our goodbyes. At that moment, she
burst out in tears and cried...
"Oh, please don't leave me here. Don't make me stay here.
I want to go back home."
We stood there, stunned, unable to say a word for a few
minutes, then reality began to set in on us. It was quite a
dilemma, because, we knew she had to stay. Her dad said,
"Honey, just give it two weeks. If you still feel the same
way, then we will return and bring you back home. Just two
weeks.. OK?"
"No! Two weeks is too long."
And so it went until we all decided that she should stay at
least three days. To that proposal, she reluctantly agreed,
and we began our journey back home.
As soon as we were out of sight, I broke down and cried,
missing my beautiful daughter, and feeling her great anxiety
and pain. At that point, the Spirit of God brought back to
my memory a time when I, too had to face some very hard and
frightening things. My way at that time was muddled with
fear and pain. It was a dark time in our marriage. This is
what He reminded me of:
I was attending a conference in Florida. My hotel room's
sliding door faced the ocean. At this particular time, I
walked to the glass door and looked out on the magnificent
ocean. A few miles off coast, a storm was brewing. The
clouds were dark and threatening, but to my amazement, on
the right side, a beautiful rainbow had formed with all it's
colors brilliantly shining in the mist. I shifted positions
to look closer, as as I did the rainbow disappeared. I
moved back to my original position, and there it was.. just
as before. As I did this several times, each time marveling
at the rainbow watching it appear and then disappear, a
still small voice spoke to me.
This voice, long before this day, I had become to recognized
as the voice of my Lord and God. This is was He spoke to
me:
"My child, as you see, the rainbow doesn't disappear.. you
just moved out of position. The promises I have for you are
always there.. you just have to position yourself in me to
see it."
As I began to remember this, I had hope that my child would
be able to get her promise from God also in her own journey
with Him. I held on to that promise from the Lord and He
has proved Himself for her over and over again for the last
3 years.
Not only did she stay at that school, she has attained high
grades and remain on either the Dean's list or the
President's list for the last two years. Now her plans are
to attend graduate school and become a Doctor of Psychology.
The path her life has taken her has been filled with trials
and victories discouragements and achievements. I have had
the joy of watching a young girl become a determined and
accomplished student and a wonderful young lady filled with
desire to reach out and help those who cannot help
themselves.
