Yesterday, I went to the movies with my husband. When we came out of the theater, near sunset, we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the clouds. We had just been sitting in front of the big screen watching a dynamic and dramatic fantasy that was extremely well done, yet it paled in my minds eye to the sheer intensity and immensity of the breathtaking vision provided by nature outside the confining walls of the theater. The range of colors from palest peach to bright butter yellow, from fluffy white to deepest darkest grey was all tied together in the brilliant blue sky by all shades of pink, lavender, orange and pale grey. Stunning, simply stunning.
I can think of many times in my past that clouds seemed to me the harbinger of misery, reminding me with their wet cargo of my clouded thoughts, clouded vision, cloudy emotions, and the dark cloud of depression. They blocked the light and darkened my path, rained on my parade, and quick-started my tears. It is amazing to me how far I am willing to stretch my view of reality to anthropomorphize my environment so that I can project my own shadow upon it, yet, clouds are still quite capable when called upon to maintain a misery-inducing countenance.
Today, however, clouds appear to be a different thing entirely in my view. In that moment yesterday, when we stepped out of the theater, the clouds graced us with nature's bountiful beauty. My chest opened up, expanded by glory, and I was overtaken by gratitude. The unsuppressed exuberance of the lumbering walls of intrepid moisture bolstered every bold bone in my body, filling my being with bravery previously unknown to my heart. I was favored in that moment and blessed with a knowingness that I am a part of all this. Every day, every moment, I have the opportunity to discover the blessings, to awaken to the glory of it all, to allow grace into my heart.
