Driving through rural countryside yesterday looking, at last, at the blue sky above, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful way the sun was shining through the clouds illuminating them, bringing them to life. The way in which God allowed the sun to weave its rays through the clouds made me reflect on my own life with God. If it weren't for the clouds in the sky, the beautiful image of the sun intermingling with them would have been lost. All that would have been left in the sky is the blinding sun. I wondered, Is this why we have clouds in our own Life? So that we can see the hand of God upon us? Is this why God's "son" shines through the darkness to intermingle with us? Are we to be thankful for our clouds? Hmmm. The image was beautiful, but how much more beautiful are the lives I have been blessed to know that have been filled with struggle, pain and woundedness, yet still, the beauty of God woven through their souls project God's light out into the world with joyful abound.

Creator of Light, Clouds, Darkness and Sky,
Shine your sweet light upon us, fingering your way through the clouds of our soul until you reach the soil deep within us that you call us to cultivate. May we each go forth with the touch of your hand, reflecting to all we encounter the love we have known from you. Amen.