Above The Clouds

Peering out the airplane window, I saw the majestic Mount Ranier, rising up like a polished white jewel, towering above the clouds.  Underneath us was a sea of white as far as the eye could see with jagged mountain ridges slicing their way above the clouds like islands sticking up out of the ocean.  The sun was setting, the sky filled with shades of orange and pink reflecting off the snowy mountain.  God’s creation is so breathtaking that it can’t help but fill one with joy inexpressible.

We descended through the clouds into the dark, dreary Seattle evening below.  I reflected on what the people thought about the miraculous sunset I had just experienced.  Stuck underneath the oppressive sea of white, they no doubt barely noticed it, other than observing that the darkness of the day became darker as night approached.  Maybe some felt depressed, experiencing some effects of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  When all one sees is the clouds, sometimes it is easy to forget how small the clouds really are compared to the vast beauty that lies above them.

I have had clouds in my own life that have obscured the reality.  I have had times when all I see are the negative thoughts in my head, unable to see God’s amazing love for me.  During one period of intense anxiety, at a moment when I could not feel God’s presence, I heard Him say to me “I am here, I love you.”  The truth is, the clouds in our lives seem so big and in the moments we are under them, it feels like they are the only reality.  But there is such overwhelming beauty in those moments that still exist that we can’t see.  The clouds are only a tiny part of the whole picture.  Have faith in those moments when all you see are the clouds, and as the wind blows them away, you will see the amazing truth once again.