Rainbows are caused by the refraction of the sun hitting the atmosphere which at the time consists of rain, mist, or raindrops. God promised man that the earth would never again be destroyed by fire and that the rainbow was a reminder of that situation. We all wish for the pot of gold waiting for us at the end of the rainbow. It seems that we can never get close enough to the end of the rainbow to obtain our prize. We visualize our every dream and wish to be found at the end of the rainbow. It represents our ultimate desires. Things that are usually far beyond our reach are at the end of the rainbow. What happens if we stumble over the rainbows end? Will we be satisfied? Will the quest for all of our hopes and dreams be over? Will we no longer dream of better things to come? Will we ever be satisfied? Does the rainbows end consist of our race against time, space and possessions? Is it merely the race or the quest that is important? We, as humans, tend to want more and more. We are never satisfied. We are in a fanatical race with the Joneses'. Lottery winners count this prize as one of the biggest achievements in their lives. Records and case history indicate that most lottery winners are far worse off after winning the big prize than before their luck took them to the jackpot. Relationships fizzle and end. With no activity to keep the winners busy most suffer decay. Marriages end and relationships suffer. We all think that given the opportunity we could make changes for the better. We could occupy fancy houses and drive expensive automobiles. We could satisfy our every hunger and those of our children. We could buy ourselves out of most situations. We could associate with the more affluent. We could substitute character for a big wad of cash. Growing up in a family ruled by two parents who had grown up in the depression and who realized when enough was enough presented problems to a teen aged boy. I was told from a young age that if I were to get into trouble with the local law establishment that I would have to endure the consequences by myself. No amount of money would be flowing from the family coffers to aid an errant boy in trouble. If trouble did present itself and if I could not learn to avoid mischief and behave myself in an honorable fashion the consequences of my actions would be my own reward. Mom always reiterated the fact that misbehavior on my part would be a great chance for me to enhance my character. In other words if I misbehaved and got caught no one would help me and I would gain an invaluable lesson and I would know better the next time. Can we handle our expectations or is lifes' great reward in the struggle itself? Most of us will never know. Few of us will ever win the lottery and fewer still will inherit situations beyond our capabilities. The struggle keeps us alive and fit for most situations that might surface in our lives. I think most of us would be content to have good marriages and faithful companions. If our children grew up to be fine examples of manhood or womanhood we would be content. If our lives could make some sense and we could measure our lives with a measuring stick that showed that our lives mattered and had a positive impact on the people around us, those statistics would be of enough value to satisfy us. A storm has just passed. The car is full of gas. Is there a chance? It would sure make life better. I will not tell my wife. I will just go. Goodbye. |
