As most of you know, one of my favorite things to do is sit on my front porch. I enjoy watching clouds as they change shape and move across the sky. Whether soft and fluffy, wispy and light, low, dark and gloomy, or looming thunderclouds, they are all beautiful in their own way.
Thunderheads show the power and creativity of God as each type of cloud has its own purpose.
Job 37:1-5, 11-13 (ESV)
At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place.
Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning.
They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that
he commands them on the face of the habitable world.
Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen.
Yesterday afternoon there were mostly thunderclouds. I failed to get a picture, but they did inspire me to write a poem.
Thunderclouds
Thunderheads loom tall
Keeping watch over the land
Pressure builds and mounts
Thunderheads grow thick
Filled with moisture, soon they burst
Raindrops pepper down
Thunderheads disburse
Lightning ends as thunder rolls
Down from distant hills
~gsw~
From Cumulus to Thunderclouds to Sunshine
On a sunny day when there are lots of cumulus clouds the world looks happy. But what happens when those massive cumulus clouds grow into formidable thunderheads in a darkening sky? Suddenly the world seems angry and sad. But before we know it the storm ends and the sun is shining brightly again.
Like the quickly changing clouds, our lives can change at short notice.
Things can be going along very well when suddenly from nowhere our lives take a negative turn. Maybe we get bad news or lose our jobs or hear a diagnosis we dread. Or maybe it’s just that we didn’t accomplish what we had planned and we feel like failures. It might seem like there is no use trying and things will never get better. We become overwhelmed.
Well, I can’t promise circumstances will get better or even change at all, but we are told in scripture that God is our refuge.
No matter what we struggle with, we can turn to God for strength and peace as we move forward. He will help us through the time of trouble. I have found this to be true in my own life through all kinds of circumstances.
At first I may stumble and panic, but when I turn to God in prayer and put my trust in Him, peace returns. My post, Overwhelm: Grace for the Dark Days shares examples from my life.
Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth tremblesand the mountains topple into the depths of the seas,
though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil.
I am linking up with: #TellHisStory, #TeaAndWord, #LMMLinkup, #porchstories, #Let’sHaveCoffee,#TuneInThursday, #Grace&Truth, #BVNetworkParty, #SundayThoughts
Beautiful!
Thank you, Pam! Blessings to you!
Raindrops pepper down, nice. Lots of thunder here, and lightning, predicting not as much rain next month could be hot.
Thanks, Rebecca! Sometimes the thunderstorms bring cooler weather, but it just doesn’t last in the summer, does it? But the hot days are needed, too, right? Blessings to you!
Thanks for this reminder, Gayl. Change in seasons in our lives can be overwhelming, but we can find true rest when we trust God. Blessings to you.
Yes, our true rest is definitely in God. Thanks for visiting, Boma. Blessings to you!
I love watching the clouds. Beautiful message.
The clouds are always changing, aren’t they? Thanks for your encouragement. Blessings to you!
Love this and always love analogies we can find in nature. God speaks through His creation!
Thank you, Leslie. Yes, there are so many analogies in nature. God really does speak through His beautiful creation. Blessings to you!
Dear Gayl,
I love the picture that you paint with your poetry here. I was so moved as I read it today, and thought about how those thunderstorms release the tension in the atmosphere and bring needed nitrogen to the soil, and then the necessary moisture too. There is so much I don’t understand in these storms of life, but God truly is working behind the scenes to bring everything we need. Thank you so much for sharing this! Blessings, love & hugs to you! xoxo
Dear Bettie,
I’m so glad the poem spoke to you. We don’t always understand the storms of life, do we? It’s hard to trust sometimes but we know that He really is working and he does give us strength and peace. Thank you for your sweet encouragement, Bettie. Blessings to you with much love! xoxo
You’re blessed to get such weather! A little boring here on coast of CA, but then I go to the ocean…
Yes, we have been getting thunderstorms almost every day. The ocean is always fun to visit. Blessings to you!
Lovely post and poem, Gayl!
Thanks so much, Bette! Blessings to you! xo
“At first I may stumble and panic, but when I turn to God in prayer and put my trust in Him, peace returns.” True for me too. I’d like one day to not start with the stumbling and panicking and move straight to the prayer and trust instead. 🙂
Oh, Lisa, me too! Sometimes I remember but not as often as I’d like. Thanks for visiting today. Blessings to you!
This really blessed me today. I loved the verses from Job.
I’m glad you were blessed, Mary. Blessings, love and hugs to you! xo
God is our safe refuge through it all. And even though life can change quickly, God remains constant. Thank you for these beautiful words.
So true, Mary. “God remains constant.” I’m so thankful that He is our refuge and strength. Thanks so much for your encouraging words. Blessings to you!
Thank you, Gayl, for sharing your porch ponderings and your poetry!
Thank you for visiting, Michele! Blessings to you! xo
Whew. “Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen” This will stick with me for a long time, Gayl. Thank you for the reminder. And for encouraging me to look up at the clouds!
It actually is comforting t know that God “causes it to happen.” We don’t know all the reasons but we can trust that what he does is good and right. I’m also reminding myself to look up at the clouds. It always helps my perspective as I think about the Creator. Blessings to you, Jamie! Thanks for visiting. 🙂 xo
Gayl, I love watching clouds! You have inspired me to do a little cloud watching today. Your poem was beautiful. You are a gifted writer.
Thank you for sharing with Grace & Truth Christian Link-Up.
Maree
Dear Maree, I’m so glad to have inspired you! Thank you so much for your encouraging words. Blessings to you!
Hi,
Popping in from #teadandword.
This is so beautiful. A reminder that life can change easily, but God is always constant and an able refuge.
Thank you, Chizoba! Yes, I’m so thankful God is always there for us. Blessings to you!