My Walk Home

Today we were so fortunate to have a break in the rain! Even though there were drizzle spurts throughout the day, there were blue skies in between. John is out of town touring with his best friend, Clint, so I have had a fun "girls' week" with my Chilean girlfriends.

Today I ate lunch at one of their houses, and on my walk from her house back to mine, I couldn't help but stop and stare every few steps. Valdivia was reflecting God's beauty in such amazing ways!

First of all, there are these trees that, during the winter, bud into these beautiful explosions of bright red berries. They are really breathtaking. It looks and feels like Christmas should be right around the corner. (Actually, so much so, that the other day I bought some gingerbread cookies and watched El Mono de Nieve, better known as Frosty the Snowman... a moment of "I miss the States" weakness!)

But back to my walk home...

As I walked on the island, I noticed a beautiful rainbow perfectly centered over a tranquil landscape of rolling green hills, rivers, and cattails. I just stopped and stared.

Then I bumped into one of my students, so I stopped again and we chatted in Spanglish (I was wanting to practice Spanish and he was wanting to practice English, so we traded our native tongues.)

Then I passed by some trees, and had to stop and appreciate their beauty. Their branches were completely bare, but they were sparkling like a prom dress as the sunlight hit the raindrops clinging to the naked branches. So delicate, so breathtaking. The Louvre is not worthy of God's art.

Then I was walking on the bridge from the island towards our house, and there was another rainbow, a double one, so bright that I had to stop again and just smile. It was perfectly centered over the Valdivia skyline, the one that you see so often, for example on our newsletter. It was as if God was saying, "I'm here, and I love these people." The colors were so bright, and they actually passed in front of the trees near me! It was almost as if the rainbow had landed on me!

I stood there on the bridge for a long time just smiling and knowing that God's presence was near. Another father with his little boy on his shoulders stopped next to me, and the three of us just stared in silence. Then he smiled at me and moved on. No one else stopped. Some didn't even look. But for me, it was a message from God reminding me that He is faithful to keep His promises and that He has a plan for me and for the people of Valdivia.