I received this as an email on September 13, 2007.  The images primarily tell the story.  The poem and the quote were a part of the email, but there was no author, nor illustrator, acknowledged anywhere in the email.  If that was the intention of the author, my hat goes off to the creator of the work for his/her humility.  However, if credit simply got sidetracked along the way, I wanted to make it clear that it arrived in my inbox unacknowledged, and I am neither the artist nor the poet of this work.

 

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain, there will always be sunshine, after the rain . . . Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall, But God's always ready, To answer your call . . . He knows every heartache, sees every tear, A word from His lips, can calm every fear . . . Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night, But suddenly vanish, in dawn's early light . . . The Savior is waiting, somewhere above, To give you His grace, and send you His love . . . Whatever your cross, whatever your pain, "God always sends rainbows . . . after the rain . . . "

 

To get out of difficulty, one must usually go through it! God never gives you more than you can bear - so bear it willingly and you will rejoice in your rewards!

I have seen similar illustrations to this used, showing the cross of Christ as the bridge between God and us.  However, since in my philosophical perspective, salvation is an unearned gift of God, I almost didn't include this email.  When I chose not to interpret the message here as a "getting into heaven" one, but rather that of simply overcoming obstacles, I was more OK with it.  Even then, I wrestled with the decision because I see nothing wrong with telling God how you really feel about something.  I do it all the time, yet with the constant addendum that I want His will, not mine, made manifest in my life. 

In fact, it was a humorous paradox, while laying out this page, I ran into some problems on a day I was rather tight for time.  After much frustration, I shouted out, "I don't need this [expletives deleted]." Then I had to laugh (since I was alone in the house) as I thought of the subject matter of the work. 

Ultimately, I decided to keep it.  It is also a philosophy of mine that our trials and tribulations are not just random chance.  They have purpose.  How do I know that the car which annoyingly just pulled in front of me, causing me to hit my brakes, didn't delay me enough to avoid an accident down the road someplace.  Big stuff or small, I wouldn't worry too much about complaining to God.  If your heart is right, you ultimately leave things up to your Creator anyway.  And, it is really nice to know (or even simply believe) all this stuff is preparing us to be ready and able when the time to use it arrives.