Rain fell softly against the window. Droplets started to drip into one another, making patterns of tiny, crooked rivers on the glass.

“Katie, have you finished your homework?”

Katie jumped at her mother’s voice and turned away from the windowpane. No, she wasn’t finished. She had a lot to do. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance.

“Because if you are,” her mother continued, “we can go to the library now.”

“No, I have a lot to do yet,” she said with a sigh. She had a stack of books to return to the library though. Ah, a rainy afternoon and a good book…

Katie stared at the pages of her science textbook. Why was it so hard to concentrate on homework? She watched the rain trickling down the window some more. Then she looked at the open book on her lap. Her math book was open too. And under that one was history and a Bible workbook.

She turned the page of her science book. A picture showed the spectrum of colors revealed when sunlight is bent through a prism. She looked at the picture closely. Why are only those colors in the spectrum? And why are they in that order?

She looked out the window. Sunlight started to peek through the clouds. Ah, even better—maybe the rain will stop.

She studied a little more. Sunlight was coming through the window now and shining onto the pages of her book. But rain kept hitting the glass. Katie glanced out the window again—and stared.

A rainbow!

The special rows of colors curved in vivid stripes across the sky. Now this was something to quit homework for! She set her books down and watched the glorious view. After several minutes the clouds began to shade the sun again. As quickly as it came, the rainbow faded and vanished.

She paused, and thought. Science explained how she could see what she just saw. She supposed math could help explain it too. And in Bible they had just learned how Noah came out of the ark and saw a rainbow for the first time. It was a sign of the covenant. Somehow, all these things were connected.

Katie picked up her books again. Rain continued to splat against the window. She closed her eyes. The rain seemed to be playing a song of its own—a special message and rhythm just for her: “listen, listen and watch…watch, watch.” She opened her eyes. She smiled.

And kept on studying.