clouds

wednesday was rainy. we even had a thunderstorm. everyone at work was complaining about how gloomy it was. maybe i'm odd, but i don't mind rain. i love a nice sunny day, but there's something soothing about a rainy day. it's a good thing i don't mind it because it rains alot here.

i drove home from work yesterday i thought about the difference in the sky from the evening before. we've had some beautiful weather lately. even the day of the big storm it was beautiful, sunny and warm(ish) until about 7pm when the storm rolled in. (not that rainy isn't beautiful, but it was sunny beautiful.) as i checked out the patchwork of light and dark clouds, with the blue just poking through here and there, the thought crossed my mind that we were in for another amazing sunset. that's when i realized...the best of sunsets are never in a clear sky.

so here's the life application: when life's been stormy and we have to go by faith to believe that the sun is there, that's when God's glory is most beautifully displayed. the troubles in life only set it up for God to show His beauty by making us beautiful. i think one of the most amazing and intimate verses in the bible is john 16:33. it's at the last supper when Jesus says, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." it always blows me away to think of the sweetness with which He must've said this, and the fact that He was comforting them even though He must've been overwhelmed even then with what would come next. He knew the clouds would bring a sunset more beautiful that had ever been seen before, and He was telling them to look for it.