Under the Rainbow: A mother’s experiences of the promises of God
by Catherine Campbell
This new edition of Under the Rainbow is Catherine Campbell’s
experiences of the promises of God during her time raising three children, two
of which were born with microcephaly, a debilitating disability. The two girls born with this disability,
Cheryl and Joy, were wonderful children who seemed to bring great joy to the
Catherine, Philip, and their brother Paul.
This book is a real shot to the veins because it will make you cry,
rejoice, laugh, and praise God all in a few pages. The heart wrenching ups and downs and seeing
Catherine’s young daughters endure so much pain, surgeries, and sickness was
enough to leave the reader with overwhelming sadness. Yet, although there were many times of despair
and questions to God about why these things were happening, she faced the Lord
with all the brutal honesty of a mother going through extreme
circumstances.
The uncanny tenderness of a mother’s love for her daughter
came through in the pages of this book.
You see Catherine’s tenderness carried it in her actions toward
Cheryl. Catherine writes, “Because we
are spiritual beings, I believe that God’s Holy Spirit can reach into the place
we know little about. And so I would
pray that He would give Cheryl peace – as only He could. When things were difficult, and she struggled
for breath, I would sing to her of the promise that God had given to me when I
fought against His plan for me life and that of my first born….Later, many
people, including nursing staff, remarked on their sense that Cheryl had such a
peace about her – it was almost like an aura.
On those occasions I knew that God had answered my prayer” (114). The sweet singing and prayers of Catherine
had a marked effect on Cheryl. The
sleepless nights and multiple surgeries were worth every cent to Catherine, as
she loved Cheryl to the end. Passing on
the deep well springs of her Christian faith to Cheryl, Catherine longed for
the day when Cheryl would have a new body.
Catherine brought up a point that is worth mentioning in
this beautifully written book. She
writes, “But I have also learned how important it is to accept help when it’s
offered! Many of us turn away
ministering angels because we don’t want it to appear that we can’t manage by
ourselves. Pride then blocks the answers
to our prayers, and then blames God for the burden we think we must carry alone”
(100). Whether it’s a hot meal, a friend
to sit with us or a family to take care of our little ones, help comes in all
different ways. Yet, the very point of
being the body of Christ is to meet the needs of others through sacrificial
acts of love. Not only this but these ministering
angels or friends offered up prayers on Catherine’s behalf when was not able to
pray. The unburdening of all the
emotional weigh that we carry should be
shouldered by others in our midst.
Your heart will be moved and if you’re like me, your eyes will
be watery with tears after reading this book.
Catherine rests upon the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and
this fact is evident on every page of the book.
I know this book will be a great encouragement to people raising kids
with disabilities, families coping with loss, and everyone who desires to
suffer well with God as their guide.
Thanks to Monarch Books and Kregel Publications for the copy
of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Spencer for your clear review of my book 'Under the Rainbow'. Please pray with me that God will use it to help in the healing of the broken-hearted, and the encouragement of every one who reads it. God bless you.
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