WE SAW the sky but little else through the window in the room where we sat. The gray and white clouds marched briskly by as blues and grays traded places.
She was convinced the clouds would bring rain later in the day and said so every few minutes.
“No, I think they’re moving out, not in. That blue sky peeking through is going to bring sunshine,” I said, and for a minute, it seemed we’d settled the forecast.
Turning her eyes back to the clouds, she said, “I think it’s going to rain later today.”
“It looks like it, but I think they’re moving out, not in,” I said, as if for the first time.
Our seats in the memory care facility limited our view. Walls and locked doors stood between her and a larger view. I had the benefit of the morning’s forecast — a different perspective based on the training of a meteorologist, an authority in the field. Her ability to grasp the good news of improving conditions was limited by more than the walls and doors of the facility. Dementia had stolen her ability to hold on — even for more than a minute — to reassurance that a brighter day was promised and the blue in the morning sky would spread, not diminish.
Aren’t we often the same?
So many times, life’s circumstances feel like they should come with storm warnings announcing their arrival and promising their departure. Struggles, as numerous as the clouds, obscure our view. Weariness from the realities of the weight of parenting, caring for others, paying bills in today’s economy, and responsibilities at work and home distract and overwhelm us. Grief, anxiety, and depression can also block the light of hope.
We can’t always trust what we see.
We have an enemy who loves to see our busyness confuse our thinking like the clouds of dementia. We are not his prisoners, confined to the locked doors and walls of this world. The devil hopes we forget our direct access to the true authority and the truths of His Word. We are beloved children of the one who fulfills His purposes for us and provides rest and strength for our next steps.
He who sits above the clouds sees the beauty and promise of our days, our moments. He loves us. He is with us.
Isn’t the sun always shining despite the clouds?
Now, that’s worth repeating! GN
