Typically, all we see of clouds are what I call their underbelly.
Across the sky, from one horizon to the other,
all we see is what is on the bottom.
How high do they go?
How close to space can they be?
Unquestionably majestic, magical yet often unseen.
Unless you are flying,
Or at least looking down from a tall mountain peak
All you can see is from your viewpoint.
Most of us live below the clouds.
Isn’t this what we see in life?
Only from our perspective and view,
We notice the worst of days and lives.
Everything is judged by its lowest points.
You and I are right in the mix.
But change our perspective. Think from another spot.
Seek the high points; that’s your better self.
Rejoice that life is not only an underbelly experience.
There are mountains so high as to take your breath away.
The results of a conversation yesterday started me thinking about how we often see the negative and ignore the hidden potential. First Responders see this in most interactions with the public. From crime and pain, danger and disasters, what life must be to greet the day and wonder how many challenges will be faced today?
It’s not just in how we speak because we can turn any positive into a negative with the snap of a tongue. It’s also how we think. We feel attacked, so we go on the defensive and move into the enemy’s territory with a bent on destruction. Most of us internalize, and that causes our externalization. Our personality grows prickly as we see everything as negative.
But God
I wondered what life is for those who do not believe in God. Is it more challenging to see the silver lining or unexpected blessing?
I’m glad I believe in God and believe God is looking out for our best interest. So, why not look at everything from God’s perspective. He may be the ultimate First Responder, but he’s not there to handle every pain of life immediately. Sometimes you go through the trial before you see a victory.
Your clouded valley of despair could be the setup for God’s blessing.
Why worry about that which you can do nothing about,
Except to be as prepared as possible.
The Bible often points out highlights of stories for our consideration. We seldom experience a broader view of life except for several such as Moses (from the beginning of Exodus, through Leviticus, Numbers, and ending in Deuteronomy.) Joseph – beloved by his dad and despised by his brothers, becomes the salvation for an entire people. Job – there’s an entire book devoted to his struggles, with a chapter or so setting up the story and a few verses closing out the victory. David. Now, there’s a story. The man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), whose story begins as the youngest tending sheep and ends with his death, lives a life of ups and downs, experiencing victories and defeats. His life is an open book, from being ignored to becoming the King.
Maybe much of what we study in history deals with the negatives. Highlights are a footnote. We will never understand the grand inventors’ and saviors’ daily lives. Nor can we grasp the span of lives lived as warriors and explorers. I can imagine the host of those gone before me, standing as I did yesterday, looking at the clouds. All they see is no different from what we experience—day in. Day out.
Here’s my thought, summed up in a few words. We can only know what we know from what we are willing to explore. Study the past, and you’ll find similar paths. Live in the present and be very present in the moment. Prepare for all the tomorrows you may live, but they will someday end.
A tiny sliver of life I call the Underbelly of Clouds.