Sunday July 24 Above the Clouds

Has life grown heavy around you? Is it possible to get a fresh perspective when circumstances in our life seem dreary? When negatives are flooding your life; when more bills are coming in than money is available; when unfortunate circumstances don’t seem to be changing; or what ever you are going through seems like more than you can bear; there is a way to keep our head above the clouds and be filled with joy again. It may be as simple as getting the perspective of a pilot or a mountain climber. When we are experiencing all the dreariness in the valley, 2000 feet above us, from the view of a mountaintop or from the window of an airplane, or from God’s perspective, the sun is still shining. In fact, up there in the daytime, you can see on and on forever. The sunrise is beautiful, the sunsets are incredible, and there is not an ounce of dreariness anywhere.

An even easier way than boarding an airplane or climbing a mountain is to begin remembering all the reasons you have to smile. Christians shouldn’t be named “The Miserable Ones” like they were in the movie Amistad. We should be called “The Joyful Ones,” full “to the brim” with the joy of the Lord. Our joy is not dependent on our circumstances, like how sunny it is or how smoothly our life is flowing along. Think about this perspective. We are grateful recipients of the wonderful grace of God, and the heavy cloud of sin has been lifted off of us. Hallelujah! He takes the clouds away! So whatever the weather, we can rejoice evermore! Our joy bucket can be filled and overflowing.