CUP of Clouds

I have an amazing love for sunsets...I have for as long as I can remember. I can honestly say that in my life here on earth it is probably my most favorite thing that God gives us as a gift every single day. I think about them everyday, what they are going to look like, will I be somewhere that I can see today's, etc. They are always a precious "moment away from the world around me" where I can sit and soak in The Lord. The world can take away so much but one thing in my day that will always be - there will always be a sunset every single day. I can tell you each afternoon if it's going to be worth the watch just by how the sky looks that day - are there clouds, clear skies.....whenever there are lots of patchy clouds I long for that time to watch the sun set - this is why I love where I live! Somedays they are memorable - others days not so much. I had never really thought past the simple fact that somedays they stop you dead in your tracks and others it's "oh that's pretty". The days where the sunset is amazing is because of CLOUDS!! We give clouds a bad name, we don't tend to seek out clouds.....yet what are sunsets without them??!!

Well the other day my friend Nicole sent me a daily encouragement that was a huge blessing to my heart. I never thought of sunsets and clouds like this before nor could I put it into words the way Van Walton did. Van is referring to her love for sunrises, much like my love for sunsets but what we crave and desire from each of them is the same:

"Have you ever risen early in the morning with one purpose “ to watch the sun rise? I especially like to take time for sunrises, so I purposefully chose to rise early each day during my vacation. One morning I found myself sitting on the dock facing east, looking for the sun to rise up over the lake. Another morning I sat on the long veranda of a century-old hotel gazing at the Ohio River, waiting for the golden glow that would announce the sun's arrival. Days later, toward the end of my trip, I wrapped myself in a heavy blanket and curled up in the glider on the front porch of the cabin where I had spent the night. Peering over the Utah landscape, once again I searched the horizon. Soon a bright orange blaze appeared, forcing me to close my eyes because of its brilliance. In a few seconds, with wide-opened eyes, I continued my search for the morning's drama, only to see a half globe sitting on top of the mountains. I kept watching, not wanting to miss the spectacular sight. Then, in another blink of an eye, the sun lifted itself from the peaks, and hung there in the sky - a perfect golden circle.

That was it. It went so quick. The sun had come up, creeping into the day, and now it simply dangled “ a yellow ball in the air, surrounded by blue, looking like a child's simple drawing. For a few minutes I pondered my disenchantment with this particular sunrise. Is there such a thing as an incomplete, imperfect sunrise? At that moment I believed there was. I had just experienced it. And, I remembered others like it, somewhat lackluster.

Why had the sunrise not impressed me this day? Where was all the drama I had expected? Then I realized there is no drama in a sunrise without clouds. Clouds - they've been given a bum rap, but all along, these predictors of bad weather, these symbols of negativity, sadness, blues, and gloom really serve to expand light, reflect color, cast dazzling rays, and paint incredible scenes in the sky. A sunrise without clouds is like a life without trials and hardships. I do all I can to avoid challenges and difficulties, but the fact is the so called "clouds" in my life can cast me in a certain aura of God's splendor. A life free of complications and struggles can resemble a bland sunrise … little contrast, seemingly dull artistry, and little context in which I can reflect the Son. "

Soooo beautifully put!!

Today I am thanking God for the clouds - some days I have more than my share, other days I have none but the clouds bring out my character and show the richness of the journey I call my life! I'm so thankful for my loved ones that walk with me through my stormy and my sunny days!

Cheers to the Clouds!!!