By: Alison Blackwood
On one of my outings in nature, for the most part the sky was bright and sunny, but I saw rain clouds in the distance.
While trying to find subjects to capture on camera which I considered to possess unique characteristics, I was drawn to an interesting formation of a tree trunk and its main branches.
But because the rain clouds caused the view behind the tree trunk to be hazy, I did not pay much attention to the distant scene. As time progressed, I felt raindrops and before
long the rain was pouring down. The only shelter was a nearby tree, so the camera was quickly secured in the bag, and any thoughts of taking more photos were forgotten.
After the rain subsided, I initially had no more interest in taking pictures. Since my clothes
were now wet, my focus was on returning to the vehicle. But as I started to walk, my eyes glanced in the direction of where I had taken photos of the tree trunk. This time, the view behind the tree trunk held my attention. I was so enthralled that I even forgot that my clothes were wet.
I wanted to stay a little longer, enjoy the view, and take some more pictures. So I quickly took the camera out of the camera bag. As time progressed, the view became even clearer, and my attention shifted more from the tree trunk and more to the distant landscape.
As I reflected on this experience, I was reminded that though rainclouds will come, thankfully they do not last forever.
Rainclouds pass by, and the rain clouds cannot hide the beautiful view forever.
Similarly, there could be times in our lives when we are focusing on just what is in front of us.
And when - like the rain clouds - disappointments and challenges come and pour down on us, we may just want to retreat to a safe and warm place. At that point any thoughts of going
forward may be erased from our minds. However, during the challenges, we just need to hold on and ask God to guide us and keep us through the storms. Even if we have to stop for a while (and seek safety as needed), we can be confident that after the rainclouds pass, we can continue on.
After the challenges have passed, we see beyond our immediate view to the breathtaking future that God has instore for us.
In Psalm 119:18 we read, ‘Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.’ This verse reassures me that where we are uncertain, we can ask God to give us the clarity that we need to move forward.
Thankfully, through every change and stage in our lives, we can hold onto God’s promises; and we can hold on firmly to what God has placed in our hearts to do.
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To learn more and connect with Alison Blackwood, email intlvre@yahoo.com.