Clouds

It's a lovely Saturday afternoon (even though you'll be reading this on Sunday!). The girls are resting with books before working on a school project. Steven is napping. Doug should be home from a luncheon shortly. The windows are open letting in the warm spring breeze. A box fan is on down the hall, sending out a pleasant, soothing hum. The mostly clear blue sky is gradually being covered by a cozy layer of clouds in advance of an approaching spring shower.

In the midst of this pleasant scene comes a thought - I'm thankful for the clouds.

That thought might not seem so odd or out of place. After all, it's a spring day in the south. The weather is very unpredictable! Last week we saw wet, chilly highs in the 50's and 60's whereas this week we are experiencing sunny, humid highs in the 80's. In fact, the next few days are predicted to approach record highs for this time of year! Some cloud cover is the perfect blessing for early afternoon when the sun is at its warmest. It means that we get to leave the windows open and still be comfortable.

But the reality is that just a week or two ago I was not thankful for the clouds. I was tired of them. I wanted some sunshine to bring a little warmth and cheer to the chilled dreariness we'd been experiencing. I was ready for the clouds to just go away!

I don't know that my thoughts go much deeper than a basic realization that sometimes I like the clouds and sometimes I don't. But, I do think there are wide applications of that thought. Just because something isn't good for one time or one situation, doesn't mean it's always bad. Just because something fits perfectly in one situation doesn't mean it works in every other circumstance. Just because I like something doesn't mean you have to, and vice versa.

Yes, I do need to be thankful in all things, whether it's clouds that are adding to the cold dreariness or clouds that protect from the hot afternoon sun. But I can also realize that there is a time and place for everything...and today is the time to thoroughly enjoy those clouds!