The Promise

Vintage Dilbert
July 11, 1995

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 its colors brilliantly shining in the mist.  I shifted positions to look closer; 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 too 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 remains 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.

 

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