My Rainbow

“Where Do I Go? When there is nobody else to turn to, who do I talk to? When nobody wants to listen. Who do I lean on? When there is no foundation stable? I go to the Rock. I know he is able. The Lord is the Rock of my Salvation.”

These last few days have been tough. A friend told me last week was the first time they saw me near a mental break in all the years they had known me.

While we Liberians were trying to wrap our heads around the attack on the home of the former chief justice, Nigeria’s elections happened. Yes, I was hopeful that the momentum for change many Nigerians hoped for would mark a new dawn. I was sad when that didn’t happen, especially for the young people who had given their best.

As I navigated the emotions from these two events, I got a call to visit a 10-year-old—she had been raped and was six months pregnant. A wave of sadness consumed me. As I wondered who would do this to a baby, other children’s stories surfaced. Some children need places to stay, others educational support, while some need both. As I was briefed, my mind kept racing: Where would I find help? Who can I ask for funds? Is this ever going to end? The lady then said to me, “I have a baby.”

This little girl was found on the dumpsite. When she was discovered, rats had eaten parts of her feet, and flies and mosquitoes had severely bitten her. When I saw pictures, I had to muster all the courage in the world not to cry.

I was then brought the baby, and as I held her, she looked nothing like the pictures I had seen. She seemed perfectly healthy. I held her and prayed for God’s purpose to stand in her life. In response, the baby gave me the biggest, brightest empty mouth smile in the world—that was my rainbow.

God was confirming to me that he got my back. That was God telling me, “Breathe, my daughter. It will all be okay.” God demonstrated through the baby’s smile that “He is my ROCK and MY SALVATION! The ROCK who is able to save Liberia, Nigeria, and the world.

• Mrs. Gbowee is a Nobel Peace Prize Winner