Have you ever seen the end of the rainbow?

When we started this Christian Montessori journey 46 years ago we had no idea where the journey would lead; had no idea of the arc of the rainbow, had no idea that there even was a rainbow; and most of all had no idea of the promise that the rainbow held for preaching the Gospel. At the beginning, when we opened our first school, our eyes were focused on the path in front of us trying to take sure baby steps. As we toddled on our steps became more sure, our pace quickened and soon we were running the race God had set for us. Eleven years into the journey we caught the first glimpse of part of a rainbow – creating the Christian Montessori Fellowship to network people who shared the twin passions of Jesus and Montessori education. Twenty-nine years into the journey God closed our school. Then we asked ourselves, “Where is the rainbow?” We began travelling the country holding seminars and conferences and meeting more Christian Montessorians. From these travels was birthed the idea of creating a Christian Montessori training course. We spent five years in the studio putting the training course on video. Then ten years ago we held the first live training course putting all the philosophy on DVD to go online to make training available all over the world. It has been a slow process almost like constructing the rainbow one color at a time. In the mean time, God has been gathering the people and resources to roll out this training program. In February this year all the pieces that have been lovingly crafted began to unite (along with the technology that didn’t exist years ago) and the first live online training has started with eight training centers here and two in Africa. Training materials have been previously sent to Mexico, South Sudan, Viet Nam and Madagascar as well as El Salvador where we have our first international training center. From this beginning of ten training centers will come a hundred and from a hundred training centers will come a thousand schools and from a thousand schools a million children will hear the Gospel. In March of this year we were in California and God provided a unique experience and encouragement. One morning, one hundred yards from where I was standing I saw the end of the rainbow. Now in my life time I’ve seen dozens of rainbows arcing across the sky but never, ever the end of the rainbow. It was fascinating – there was the end of the rainbow right in front of me and next to it, if you look closely, is a double rainbow. God used that rainbow to whisper, “Everything you’ve done, every person you’ve touched, every victory, every defeat, all of your work is part of the rainbow of preaching the Gospel using Christian Montessori education. You may not live to see the other end of the rainbow but know the children of the world will be blessed.” It was a unique moment as all of these thoughts whirled about. Maybe like King David we have gathered all of the materials to build a great temple and it will be for someone else to construct. In that moment there was a satisfaction and an understanding of God’s purpose. He doesn’t always reveal every part of His plan to us as we walk by faith. But for one clear moment – looking at the rainbow – there was a contentment knowing the rainbow had another end. And the next day the rainbow appeared in exactly the same place. And now back to work!