“Oh Lord, (when all I feel is doubt) I hear you say “Look up
child!” ~ Laura Daigle
Isabella woke to the gentle patter
of rain on the hotel balcony and thunder rumbling from a distance. She pushed the blankets off, immediately
feeling the warmth of sleep drift away.
Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, she stood up and walked
towards the window.
The sky was awash in shades of grey; their dingy color
suggested an even drearier day. Misery
seeped into her pores like fog about to rain on her soul with even more
sadness. Before even getting dressed,
Isabella decided to take extra tissues and an umbrella to the airport today.
She was on her way home minus that someone who’d been with
her for more than a year. That same person
who’d promised to love her forever … only to leave when things got hard. Where there was once love, light, and
laughter - an aching void now surged. Her
heart was crushed; life seemed no longer worth living.
Once on-board, she settled into a window seat and watched as
the plane taxied for take-off. Outside,
all she saw were cheerless, ashen clouds. But as the plane gained altitude through the
mist, they emerged into a sun-drenched world far above the disappointments left
behind.
The same clouds that were hanging low just minutes before,
so dark and gloomy from the underside, appeared totally different from God’s
vantage point. Radiant in their current splendor,
they rose as soft mountain peaks, impossible for any would-be climber, yet
simple for a dreamer.
That reality brought an
important thought to bear; one Isabella tried to remember for the rest of her
life. She realized that, no matter how bleak
or dismal a day might be, the sun always shines above the clouds. That inspired courage, hope, and confidence
that everything will be just fine.
It’s not always easy to trace God’s designs in our
ill-planned hopes and visions. But rest
assured that if we’re called according to His purpose, and if we love God, all
things do work out for good. Who are we
to question which way the winds of Providence shall blow, or how the Great
Captain shall maneuver our ship through life’s storms?
Yes clouds will come.
They’re part of the fabric of everyday life. But by God’s grace we need not be depressed
by their presence. Like the misty billows
that float above us: 1) they protect us from the sun’s blinding glare; 2) they
reveal God’s majestic glory; and 3) He speaks to us continually from their
lofty height whether we sense His presence or not.
But never forget that God promises to guide you when you
take your concerns to Him in prayer. The
sunshine of His love shines even into the darkest part of your life.
Look up child, towards the heavens and beyond
the clouds! Everything’s under
control. You’ll see that the suffering
you experience now is nothing compared to the glory that I’ve planned for you
here!” ~ God
