Figuratively speaking, clouds come to us all. A lost job. A sick child. A broken heart. A broken home. Natural disasters that damage and destroy.
During such times of loss and grief, silver linings aren't always easy to see. We may go for weeks, months, sometimes even years of existing beneath the cloud, just being still and being sad.
Personally, I believe there is great value in being still and being sad, and sometimes it is all we are capable of doing.
However, once we find the strength to move forward—to accept our pain, our loss and our suffering—we can look back and see beauty in the things that made us weep. Not tangible beauty, perhaps, but a silver lining just the same.
Maybe it’s a restoring of the soul, a softening of the heart or a renewed sense of gratitude.
As James Buckham once said: “Trials, temptations, disappointments—all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fiber of character but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured 'in the right spirit' makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.”
As evidenced by the picture I snapped at the end of the day, clouds (even dark ones) can be beautiful things. How we look at them will determine what we see.
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Love this, Gayle.... so often I drive along & notice some small something that speaks volumes about God. That is where most of my devotionals come from...He has a way of opening us up to see through His eyes, if we will dare take a chance and look. Thank You, Ken H.
ReplyDeleteThe picture is amazing. "We see beauty in the things that made us weep." A beautiful thought, Gayle, and so true. I need to see and appreciate silver linings more often.
ReplyDeletelove the blog and writing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous photo capture, Gayle. What I liked even more was the reminder and how you worded it.
ReplyDeleteDuring our prayer time this morning, I thanked God once again the recent job loss. That black cloud brought such a beautiful season of communion, peace, and trust. I wouldn't trade it.
One day at a time...brings me out from under the cloud to where I can see the silver lining. Some things will always continue to cause pain and sadness because they can never be changed, but pain and sadness are not the only things in any situation. There are other things in the situation that are wonderful, good, worthy, and part of life, too. Sometimes the pain, suffering, and grief overshadow everything else until we finally see the silver lining. Healing begins.
ReplyDeleteJudith