When I was a little girl, my family traveled from our home in Texas to visit relatives in California. My brothers and I would cram into our parents’ sedan and endure the 24-hour trip. But one particular year, we rode in a van my dad had borrowed from a friend. We were traveling in style: we each actually had a chair all to ourselves! We sang songs, listened to tapes of Bill Cosby’s comedy, and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company.

            As we drove across the desert, we could see sand surrounding us for miles, glaring at us beneath the sun. In Arizona, we watched a storm gather in strength ahead. Then, suddenly, the rain must have begun to fall, because the most beautiful and vibrant rainbow appeared against the dark clouds. To this day, it is still the largest rainbow I have ever seen. It arched from one side of the desert horizon all the way to the other side. We all were silent, in awe of this beautiful wonder. It never occurred to me that this phenomenon prepared me for what was about to happen.

            We kept driving toward the storm while taking in the beauty of the rainbow. When we finally reached the storm, the rain and the wind pounded against our borrowed van. But even still, we talked about that rainbow. We remembered the joy and excitement we felt as we gazed at the sight. We paid little attention to the storm raging about us. We held on to the promise of what it would be like after the storm. Usually, the rainbow appears after the storm to comfort the weary and rain sodden. But in our case, we were prepared for what we were about to experience. Maybe that’s what God wanted us to feel when Noah saw the first rainbow; the peace that came from a memory.