The Road Back

Can't believe it's 2 years down the road already. In 2011 purely on a whim, I took an unplanned trip to Sg. Lembing to catch the famous rainbow waterfall and mountain sunrise. I caught neither but nevertheless the trip was a one-of-a-kind experience, which I blogged about here. 2 years later, faced with the prospect of a 2 week long school holiday break again, I was at a loose end with nowhere particular to go (at least, nowhere that fits my limited budget), my mind went back to the waterfall that I never caught in Sg. Lembing.  And so on another whim, I called up the guy who had arranged my last trip. He actually remembered me; I guess being the (odd) aunty who came all by herself in the middle of the rainy season, I must have stood out in his memory as one of those 'weirdos' who for some reason, do their holidays alone. Again he couldn't promise me that the rainbow would come out this time... I should have known better than to ask, after all he isn't God. On another whim, I decided to ask the kids to join me this time, since it was only an overnite tingy. Much to my surprise, the 2 girls were all for it and though the boy protested a little, I signed up the whole family anyway.


A week before the trip, I asked for prayer cover at our regular cell meeting. As the sister who had been assigned my request prayed, I sensed this trip wasn't just a 'personal whim' or fancy after all. She released God's covenant blessing over my family, making reference to the time when God sealed His promises to Noah and his children by setting a rainbow in the clouds after the great flood wiped out all life on earth (Genesis 9:8-17). I had expected the 'normal' prayer for protection and good weather; but God led this sister to pray way beyond that. I knew full well the significance of the rainbow covenant God made with Noah. It was meant to be an everlasting covenant for all generations to come that He would never again destroy the earth by flood. The rainbow in the sky marked a brand new beginning for the survivors in Noah's Ark. It was a covenant initiated by God to give hope, a sign of His eternal love that no matter what sin humanity is guilty of, He will exercise grace . I took that sister's prayer to heart, appropriating it as a very personal word from the Lord, that indeed He has heard the fervent prayer of a widow/single mother for my generations to come and assuring me He is merciful. As much as the rainbow symbolized a new day, so surely would my children be brought forth into a new season in their lives. How beautiful the prayer that is birthed of the Holy Spirit; it reveals the very heart-beat of God even though it comes through man's lips.


2 days before the trip, stuck in a traffic jam on a rainy evening whilst I was driving the family out for dinner, there it was - a rainbow across the sky. To anyone else's eyes, it was 'just' another rainbow, nothing unusual about it. But for me, it was His very personal way of confirming His promise even before the trip. Am I reading too much into a random act of nature? Surely it's 'just coincidence' that there was a rainbow when I 'just happened' to go out that nite. As far as I am concerned, there's nothing random, no coincidences in life; everything happens for a reason. Sometimes I don't get it, sometimes I ignore it, sometimes I don't even want it, and sometimes it's only years later I realize its significance. Albert Einstein said "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." If that is so, we should give God the credit instead of hiding behind politically correct terms in trying to explain spiritual things from a secular point of view. Someone once said, “From where we stand the rain seems random. If we could stand somewhere else, we would see the order in it."

Apostle Paul prayed for "the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which God has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." (Ephesians 1:18-19) What the heart 'sees' is not the same as what the ordinary eye sees. So whilst it is absolutely scientifically correct that as Wikipedia defines it, a rainbow is just "an optical and meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection of light in water droplets in the earth's atmosphere, resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky", the eyes of my heart see something else so much more beautiful and meaningful, because I am looking at it from the perspective of a Noah. And it's with that perspective that I set off, down the road all the way back to Sg Lembing, this time with the whole family.

Expectations were high, not to mention I went with some half-baked notion of how romantic it would be, but the reality was something else. It was a loooong and grilling journey into the interior. The kind of modified 4WDs used can only 'pass license' in Sg Lembing, I am sure. These vehicles were built up with roof (not just to shut out the sun, but to ward off branches which were apt to swing into your face), and horizontal long seats that could pack 20 pax into 1 vehicle. Multiply that by the number of people going on any 1 trip and you get an idea of the size of the crowd.  Our driver estimated that morning easily 200 pax were all gung-ho-ing up the mountain trail - so much for the romance part!!. And what a bone-rattling, body-shaking trail it was - adventurous old aunty opted for a seat at the back and endured 2 hours (return trip) rough-riding thru the forest, bumping thru streams, muddy and rocky paths. Then followed another hour of wading thru waist-high river-waters and climbing uphill narrow wet, muddy and rocky pathways before we hit the highest point of the falls. This was truly an adventure for the adventurous, with everything thrown in. 

The first sight of the falls was pretty awesome - cascades of tumbling waters from on high, a constant spray of water and mist falling and a cold wind blowing in the face. And yes, there it was - a tiny sliver of a rainbow. It wasn't exactly what I expected - the 'normal' rainbow I am used to admiring is so high up in the sky and so perfectly arched...this one was like a half-formed miniature. But as I sat on the rock opposite viewing it for a long time, ignoring the crowd, I noted how 'alive' it seemed, becoz of the tumbling waters and the changing angle of the sun, the rainbow was "moving" all the time. And it appeared different viewed from different positions. One would have assumed the higher the better but it was near to the bottom just as I was trying to weave my way down thru the madding crowd that I caught sight of my 'bonus' - a double rainbow. 

The kids weren't impressed tho. Well, after travelling a total of 5 1/2 hrs 1 way out of which were 2 hrs of tough terrain, and all you get is a 'slice' of a rainbow (without any pot of gold) and having to contend with a whole mass of humanity, I can understand how they feel it's too much hype and too much trouble. Me, I came back to chase a rainbow, and I caught 2. It wasn't exactly spectacular, but then again, God doesn't always give us the spectacular. Mine would be a very poor faith indeed if I always insist God prove Himself in eye-popping earth-shattering  miracles. Watching the rainbow 'dance' amidst the curtain of waters, my heart was secured in the certainty my God is very much alive and working actively to bring His promises to pass in all things and all situations.  He has shown me not 1, but 3 rainbows already. That's a covenant thrice renewed. What more can I ask? I am glad I took the long hard road back. 

Cementing my faith were 2 messages that came in on our return journey. One was from a Pastor I don't know at all, since I have seen him only a couple of times so far; but out of the blue, every now and then, he would send me very appropriate Words somehow, just when I needed to hear it. What he quoted from the Bible spoke to my heart as he referred me to the time when King David praised God "I praise Your name for Your unfailing love and faithfulness, for Your promises are backed by all the Honor of Your name."(Psalm 138:2). Another came from a dearly loved sister, a prayer warrior who reminded me my God is "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows" (Psalm 68:5), that "The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow" (Proverbs 15:25). How gracious my Abba Father is; knowing the "me of little faith", He never stops telling me through so many ways, by so many people, that He will do what He says He will do for me, for His own name sake, and because He loves me and my family. I guess He's trying to tell me by now, I really should  learn to live without rainbows......

 "There is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts." - 1 Kings 8:23

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