Clouds

I’ve always liked clouds.  And I don’t think I’m alone in this.  Artists paint pictures of them, and poets and novelists write about them.  Clouds are also popular idioms for some of life’s situations.  For instance, “on cloud nine”, or “under a dark cloud”.

My favorite clouds are the cumulus clouds.  Those are the big white fluffy cotton balls that drift lazily around the blue sky changing shapes and evoking our imaginations.  When I was a kid, I used to lie on my back in the grass and imagine I saw all sorts of images in those clouds.   My second favorites are the cirrus clouds.  Those are the wispy brush strokes high in the sky.  I imagined God sweeping the sky and the cirrus clouds being the streaks from His broom.

There is something to be said for the beauty of big white clouds against the blue sky.  They seem to make the sky bluer, or the sky makes them whiter.  Whichever it is, it’s beautiful.  My husband says that clouds add interest because a cloudless sky is boring.  I would have to agree that I watch a cloud-filled sky much more than I do a cloudless one.  Although I’ve always loved the sky’s color.  Have you ever noticed that it is particularly blue in contrast to the autumn leaves? 

Clouds are also responsible for breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.  They capture the sun’s rays and disburse them through their layers to produce all the lovely colors of the sun’s appearing in the morning and disappearing in the evening.  Without clouds, sunrises and sunsets would be far less dramatic. 

One of my favorite cloud scenes is when sunbeams break through the clouds with visible rays of light that seem to stretch to the ground.  As a kid, I thought that meant God was smiling.  I still think that today.  Of course, now it’s symbolic.  But why not think about God being pleased?  That always makes me happy. 

Obviously, clouds are an integral part of the weather, and they have their ominous side.   Without clouds there would be no rain and without a gang of clouds, there would be no storms.  We could probably live without the storms, but not without the rain.  There is an account in the Old Testament where it didn’t rain in Israel for about two and a half years because of all the evil in the hearts of the king and the people.  Without rain for so long, they were in dire straits.   But when it was time, God told Elijah what he should do and then it would rain.  So after Elijah fulfilled his mission and showed God’s power to Israel, he went up to a mountain to await the rain.  He told his servant to go and look for a sign that it was coming.  And you know what his servant saw?  A cloud.  After that it says, “that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.”  (1 Kings 18:45)  Can you imagine no rain for two and half years?  How welcomed those clouds must have been! 

Just like any other element of nature, the sun, clouds and blue sky during the day, and the moon and stars at night influence our emotions.  Think of how you feel on a bright sunny day with the brilliant blue sky dotted with white puffs of clouds.  Especially if you are in a wide open space where the sky seems to spread out forever, you feel spectacular.  Those days seem to warm you on the inside as much as they do on the outside.

Years ago, I worked as a cashier in a pharmacy.  I quickly noticed that on sunny days the customers were happy and on very overcast days they were not.  I would quip that if I were not able to see the weather myself, I could always tell what it was like outside by the customers’ demeanors.

Perhaps the reason that I like clouds is because of their effect on my feelings.  There is contentment in watching billowy clouds float through the sky and serenity watching the high-flying wisps.  Even the clouds bringing rain can be a refreshing cleanse to our thoughts.  And the beauty of the sky after a rainstorm when the sun breaks through the clouds is one of the most invigorating sights I know.   

Clouds can be expressive metaphors / similes for our lives.  When we’re in love, we feel like we’re floating on a cloud.  When we’re much bothered, we feel like there is a cloud hanging over our heads. There are many such comparisons. 

And I’d like to add one… “Clouds add interest because a cloudless sky is boring”, my husband’s statement made me think that our lives would be pretty boring if there were never any clouds in it.  What if your life was always cloudless?  After a while, you might forget to appreciate that or eventually find it boring.  You would have nothing to strive toward, no accomplishments to claim.  What if you never achieved the success of getting out from under a dark cloud?  Those clouds in our lives offer us opportunities to grow by facing and overcoming our challenges and by that, receiving the joy of being on cloud 9.   And then, the icing on the cake – we can use those experiences to help others. 

If dark clouds are hovering in your life right now, remember that clouds wander the sky, they are never in one place for very long.  And once they drop their rain, they dissipate.  Remind yourself also that “every cloud has a silver lining”.  With prayer and trust to God, we can rise above our troubles and see the victory that God will provide, and then rejoice in our triumph.

Note to my readers:  If you’re on cloud 9 right now – I’m rejoicing with you.  Enjoy!  Thanks for reading.