Serendipity Sunday: Faithfulness That Reaches The Clouds

Serendipity: Making a delightful or unexpected discovery

"Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches the clouds."

~Psalm 36:5~

The other evening I stood in the field gazing upward over the tree covered hills at the colorful clouds. A chill was in the air and a tickle of wind sent a shiver down my spine but could not chase me back into the warmth and shelter of my home. I was admiring the silhouette of the dark bare trees against the pastel backdrop of the evening sky. As I gazed at the branches I studied the tip of the tree limbs and noted their upward lift as if they were reaching for the sky. A snippet of Isaiah 55 (verse 12) came to mind, "...And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands..." They did look as if they were rejoicing over the beauty of the sky at the close of the day. I noted that the sinking sun had under lit the light areas of the clouds with a golden tint and deepened the gray areas, both being equally beautiful to me, the dark and the light. I admired the solid expanse of brilliant blue backdrop that the clouds rested upon. I thought about the shading of those clouds and how they are often like our life, times that are highlighted or deepened by the experiences we have on any given day. The day for me had been a dismal one with the delivery of unsettling news and the knowledge of the next steps that would need to be taken. Maybe the shiver was not from the wind after all but from fear and dread of the outcome of the situation before me. In the midst of watching the changing light and shade, God gently whispered fresh hope to my weak and wounded heart. He nurtured it and grew it with each shift of cloud shape and each hue of light and darkness. That tiny sliver of hope assured me of a solid foundation that I could rest upon. The One who paints the sky with such brilliant colors, casting light and shadow upon each is the same One who paints the days of my life with experiences of light and shadow also. Behind them both blaze a brilliant backdrop upon which I can rest, the very arms of God. Peace flooded my soul as breath from heaven assured me the He had the situation in hand and the outcome would indeed be His will. He was calling me to rest in him.
I continued to stand and stare at the evening sky drinking in the colors, learning a lesson from the trees. Even though they are barren they lift their branches upward in a posture of praise, knowing in due season they will bloom again. I turned homeward with a lighter heart and the praise of promise a stepping stone to hope, the words of Isaiah 55:11-13 adding a spring to my step...

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD's renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed."

Wishing you the peace of His presence in your deepest time of need,
Miss Sandy