Thinking Out Loud Series #6
HE SCATTERS HIS BRIGHT CLOUDS, AND THEY SWIRL ABOUT, BEING TURNED BY HIS GUIDANCE.
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" Matthew 11:28-30
On any given day, clouds often catch your eye causing you to stop and stare at them as they move across the sky. However, too many clouds in a person's life can create moods of loneliness and indifference - down right blue - possibly even depressed. We need sunshine to keep our spirits up and give us the optimism needed to go through the difficult things we face each day. Oh let the sunshine, in face it with a grin!
Many of our moods are caused by the weather - rainy, cloudy, foggy, or stormy weather. Sunshine however, usually brightens things up for most of us and gives us reason to plunge forward and see our way through an obstacle that may have been blocking our path. It lightens our step and helps us believe we can make it through another day. Our brains are rejuvenated by sunshine! There is something inviting about letting the sunshine in and allowing it to warm our hearts aned offer us answers to life's dilemmas. We find it is easier to maneuver around the obstacles when the day is right and there are possibilities to choose from. We dare to take a leap of faith. Our dreams become real again. We find ourselves saying, "Go for it! It is possible to achieve!"
We often spend time beating ourselves up behind the weight of the clouds that we face each day. If only the fog would lift - if only the rain would stop - if only the clouds were not so heavy ... Of course, what we must remember is the sun is always shining behind the clouds. Our hope has not dissipated into thin air - the reality of everything is just behind the clouds. The possibilities of working through obstacles are great and always doable. We must not give up or stop the positive process we had started. It isn't always good to change our circumstances - many times we must see the sun behind the clouds and work our way through each difficulty as it arises. Life is full of disappointments - many things do not seem fair, but like they say, "That's life! Deal with it!"
So how do you handle disappointment? What steps do you take when life throws you a curve ball? What direction do you find yourself going when the worst scenario happens? It is usually devastating - we feel trapped in disappointment - depression sets in. We find we want to run away from it all. The clouds thicken and the sun is no longer there to encourage us to go on. We want to give up - denial sets in. This can't be my plight in life, is it? Now the decision of how to deal with it is in my ballpark - what do we do at times like this? We always have a choice.
I think and process things better when the sun is shining. Most of us do in fact. The sun gives more energy than the clouds and we feel empowered to deal swiftly with the deterrent - whatever it may be. However, when the clouds remain, we must not lose hope - remember, the sun is still shining behinds the clouds - and it will be back soon - real soon. Of course, our real answer is that THE SON is always shining and always availalbe to us whether clouds are in the way or not. "God is our refuge and strength, a very preent help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). He has a plan for our lives and wants to walk us through each hindrance that crosses our path. Remember, the roadblock has passed by Him first. If He allows it to stay in our way - there is a reason that we go through it. Please be reminded by Scripture that, "All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Oh Let the sunshine in, face it with a grin,
smilers never lose, and frowners never win.
Oh let the sunshine in, face it with a grin
Open up your heart and let the sunshine in
