Thought Provoking 6 - Victor M. Font Jr.

Of Rainbows and Hope — Image Courtesy of laeqa.

We turned out of our subdivision onto Rock Service Station Road on our way to evening service and hadn’t even driven more than a quarter of a mile when my wife suddenly gasped. It was the type of gasp that set me on alert thinking she saw something startling. Then she says, “That’s the most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen.” I wasn’t in a position to see what she was looking at without taking my eyes off the road. I thought, “A rainbow has another end doesn’t it?” Then I saw it! Looking out my front windshield at about the 2 o’clock position and I almost gasped. It is the largest, most beautiful, and breathtaking rainbow I had ever seen in my entire life.

The colors are so bright and beautiful. Shades of red, blue, yellow, and violet sparkled against the darkened rain heavy skies. It is so broad I can’t begin to estimate its width. Its brightness is almost blinding. I had to avert my gaze and saw an after image everywhere I looked. You’ll know what I mean if you ever kept your eyes open while someone took your picture with a flash. You look around and see the flash. You close your eyes and see the flash. This time I look around and I see the rainbow. It is gorgeous.

I think of God’s covenant with Noah on behalf of all humanity in Genesis 9:12-16:

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

I thanked God for allowing us to see His beautiful creation, a colorful painting on a canvas of clouds placed there by His gentle Word. For me, the rainbow is a sign of His goodness and grace toward us, a symbol of hope. In this time of transition, not knowing where I’ll find a job or when I’ll get my next paycheck, the rainbow reminds me of this verse from Psalm 71:5,

“For thou art my hope, O Lord God: Thou art my trust from my youth.”

As beautiful as the rainbow is, it pales in comparison to His Glory.

Great Expectations — Image Courtesy of Sigurd Decroos.

Imagine losing your job during the worst global recession since the Great Depression. That’s what happened to me. I knew it was going to happen. I sensed it coming for several months. No, I’m not psychic or anything like that. I’ve been in this position before.

Three years ago, I was working for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals’ R&D Division in New London, CT. After two very large mergers over a 5-year period, my position was eliminated in their “Adapting to Scale” initiative. That’s just a fancy way of saying “RIF,” reduction in force. I was one of an estimated 40,000 world-wide who learned to adapt. This time, I was working as the Director of IT Process Improvement for CARQUEST Technologies, LLC, the IT group supporting one of the largest automotive aftermarket parts distributors in North America. The CIO walked into my office on December 9th and said my position was being eliminated in the 2010 budget cycle due to continuing economic concerns. Instead of feeling upset or fearful, a sense of relief warmed me as I responded, I’ve been anticipating this. I asked him to keep this quiet.

Dec. 9th was the one year anniversary of a 2008 RIF where we lost 200 on the corporate campus. It was the first time in the 40 year history of the company people got laid off. It was a bad day and it was still fresh in the minds of those who survived. The last thing I wanted to do is cause a panic. If my colleagues saw me packing my desk and leaving, there’s no telling how they may have responded. So, we kept it quiet and I want to publicly apologize to all of my friends there for not saying a proper “so long.” Keeping things quiet was needful. Please understand my motives.

After our discussion, I filed everything I was working on, packed my office and left the following day. When I got home, I said to my wife Praise the Lord! God is moving in our life and I’m expecting great things. Today, 12/30, is officially my last day with the company.