Prayer - Stormy Skies

God,

The skies are your movies and our drive-in theaters. You show the drama of the sun's journey from east to west everday. At night, you display the romance of the silk-white glow of the moon and the dance of the stars. Some days, you blanket and surround the landscape with playful cottony-white clouds that give joy and laughter to those that stop to view. Other days, the skies increase and become one with the ground below. These are your foreign films days where the skies speak a language of mystery, depth of plot, and deep character development. A careful search is needed to see and grasp all that is being presented with its rapidly changing scenes on these days.

We sometimes avoid days of the thundery, wet and stormy skies. We would rather hide away and wait for lighter, easier and simpler shows. These are the skies of inconvience and interruption to what we have normally scheduled for ourselves. Yet, in stepping out, noticing and making the effort we are presented with a plot and story that is not quickly forgotten like any good foreign film.

The skies serve as metaphors for our lives.

We often live with good drama, laughter, romance, and joy. Mostly, the skies of our lives are clear and sunny with a just a few passing clouds. We enjoy most of our days. Only, too much of that, and we grow dry and barren in our hearts. Just in time, the dark, heavy and cloudy circumstances come. We quickly look for shelter by running away. We want a quick fix to keep ourselves dry and comfortable. We miss out. Like the nourishment, growth and cleansing that comes to the landscape from the passing storms, we miss the same for our souls when we do not face and step into storms of our lives.

You desire the best for us and for what we will become. Sometimes, that might mean blowing winds of physical problems, dark grey clouds of doubt, blinding rain of loneliness. Teach us to weather these storms, learn from them, and find you in them. Through them, may we become changed, more in tune with love

In every natural storm, there is light. It is light somewhere, distant and hidden, that allows us to see the texture, shape and color of the clouds, observe the shiney hue of the rain drops. It is you that similary allows us to see, understand, and receive the metaphorical storms of our lives.

So, let us face, turn, and experience the howling. You won't leave us alone, and you will be our shelter through them, the Tender of our dark skies. You will bring us to a place of renewal, light, and calm. There will be an increase of glory and beauty to our souls.

Everyday, skies are beautiful. Also, our lives. Beautifully forming, days both clear and cloudy. All thanks be to you.