Shade

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Whenever people ask the question, "what would your dream superpower be?", I seem to have a consistent response. I would LOVE to fly. My grandma always used to say that in her past life, she must have been a pilot as she loves it so much. I must have inherited that same passion.


My favorite part about flying is looking at the clouds swiftly moving past the plane.  As you fly over them it is so exciting to catch a glimpse of what heaven must look like. Our creator has perfect handiwork, doesn't He? I noticed something on my recent flight home from Cambodia that I had never before noticed.


When clouds move across the sky, the land directly below the cloud becomes conumed by shade. The sun cannot reach the land through the vast cloud hovering overhead. I had never fully realized the concept of shade before. Shade is literally the absence of direct sunlight. The sunlight never left...it just appears to have left you. There is an obstacle between the sun and your existence. 


As we flew over Cambodia, I looked down and saw irregularly-shaped circles blotting the terrain. And they were a deep shade in comparison to the bright, green, sun-filled land immediately next to it. It almost looked like a camouflage pattern-a systematic arrangement of dark, forest green, and light, airy tones. Why the the Lord create clouds? Besides the necessity of rain, wind and air systems, and the meteorological explanations, what was the real intention for clouds? Why did God form clouds the way He did, placed them in our atmosphere, and allowed them to be a central focus in our weather. 


There is a reason "talking about the weather", is a common cliche for awkward or surface level conversation. Why? Because it is simple and it is relatable. Everyone has experiences with weather...rained-out birthday parties, being snowed-in at home, or having hail dent your car. 


I believe the Lord allows for clouds as nature can describe seasons of life even better than words can ever express. Think about it.  Clouds block the sun. Our sun has been proven to bring us Vitamin D, which in turn allows for serotonin levels to rise in our bodies. The sun literally, and figuratively brings us joy. Clouds, and bad weather temporarily block the sun, the source of literal and metaphorical light. He even allows us to see the clouds coming. He lets His children know when hardship (the blocking of the sun) might set in, as hardship in our lives is inevitable. In addition, God allows us to see the "light" even when we are in the midst of darkness. We have the ability to see places far in the horizon where clouds have not yet inhibited. 


Please forgive the elementary and extended word picture. I do believe though, that through His glorious natural creation we can understand a little bit more about His purpose for our lives. God has infinite facets to His being that we will never be able to comprehend, but, we do know that He reveals Himself through His creation. Through nature, and through His children. Why wouldn't the two be linked if they were formed by the same creator? 




Whenever you see a cloud approaching, you can allow yourself to become discouraged. So often we hear, "stay strong during the trials...look to Him!!". Yet, I understand that this advice is near to impossible. Hardships are not difficult because of the lack of trial, necessarily. Often, it is the lack of joy, the lack of warmth, and the "lack of Jesus' presence", that causes depressed emotions. 




Clouds prompt feelings of insecurity and dark thoughts. It is important to understand the ending to this story though. Clouds are ever moving, and ever shifting. Clouds are not permanent. In addition, clouds touch all people. You are not alone. And finally, clouds hanging overhead does not mean that the sun has left you. Instead it means that we as believers are being built on the earth-where shade is inevitable, but the Sun is eternal. 


We live on a place called earth...full with its own temptations, trials and an atmosphere in and of itself. God's creation allows us to understand Him more, and wait patiently for the clouds to pass, and His grace to flood our hearts once more. 

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

-Romans 8:38-39