I’ve always loved seeing clouds from a plane. The sunshine is so bright, and even very different kinds of cloud formations look lovely from above.
As I snapped pictures from my seat on a recent flight, I thought about what a beautiful sunshiny day it was—from where I was sitting, that is. For the people on the ground, it was a cloudy and rainy day.
Clouds and Rain
When I’m on the ground and we have clouds and rain, I’m thinking about umbrellas and shelter. I don’t think about the fact that above those clouds, the beautiful sunshine is still bright. The clouds get in the way of that truth.
From high in the air, above the clouds, we can see that the clouds don’t go on forever. They are just for a time. On the ground, the rain prepares the ground for growth. When the clouds path, the warmth of the sunshine on that prepared soild will help plants grow in the way God has designed them to. They will reach upward toward the heavens.
In Life and Marriage
Life is a little like that, isn’t it? Life has plenty of clouds, too. Illness, relationship problems, financial difficulties, professional pursuits, and more block the light from reaching us. We focus on getting through what we’re going through. We sometimes forget that above all those clouds, God’s light never dims.
I know that I’ve often let those life clouds get in the way in my marriage. I focus on getting through the stuff right in front of me. Disagreements, tiredness, to-do lists, and more are where I’m putting my attention. It’s easy for me to forget that above all those clouds, our God-blessed relationship is still bright and lovely. And even above marriage, there is God.
Those clouds that sometimes block the light are the very things the rain down and prepare me for growth. During the darkest seasons of my life, I struggled to remember that there was a light above it all. Yet those sins and struggles prepared me for the growth I continue to pursue even now. When those clouds passed, I was able to see the Son-shine that had been there all along—and I grew.
The View from Above
I want to encourage us all to remember the view from above the clouds. The clouds of life and marriage may give us a brief time when it is hard to see the light, but that light is still there shining down. Even as the clouds may be full or struggles, weaknesses, sin, or sadness, those things prepare us for growth.
The heavenly light of God’s glory is always there, above the clouds, shining down and waiting for us to reach upward.
I've moved! While you can peruse the archives here, I am no longer posting at The Forgiven Wife.
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Ladies, if you're interested in joining me for a study of Juli Slattery's new book God, Sex, and Your Marriage, time is running out! Our study begins with introductions on February 26, 2023, but the study will be open to join until March 5.
