I once told a friend in Addis Ababa that the reason they were so much closer to God than we were, is because they were on top of a mountain and could see His face more easily. Where we in America, have so many clouds in our way that we can't see Him without straining our neck.
Clouds of job problems, marital issues, social concerns, kids activities - anything to keep our minds off our Creator and make us think the world revolves around us and every problem takes 100% of our attention for us to fix on our own. No help needed.
As I walked this morning and reflected on the revival happening at college campuses in the U.S. this week, I looked up and the Holy Spirit had me focus in on the clouds. A full sheet of clouds, just covering the sky. But little patches of blue peeked through. And that's where He had me focus. A revival of sorts, a realization of my own selfishness and narrow mindedness.
It's time we switch our focus. Stop focusing on the clouds and look for the blue skies. The goodness behind the noise. The Creator is speaking to us every morning and we are too busy to stop and breathe it in. BE STILL. He speaks in the voice of the birds who have returned to sing His song. In the cry of the perfect baby He created from only two solitary cells. In the pink and yellow flowers He calls forth from the bulb at the perfect time. His voice and image is all around us, and yet we are usually too busy to stop and see.
The clouds of Satanic award shows, the idols of our day, the evil leaders - they instead occupy our attention. The noise of natural or man-made disasters, food shortages, the drumbeats of war - it is all a mist. A scary mist, yes. But still, just a blanket of clouds that will one day be rolled back and then all we will see is goodness and the purity that was meant to be.
This world is only a motel room, where we reside a little while. You can fill it with the most beautiful and perfect things - houses, cars, and pretty artwork. But it is still, all a mist, a mirage that we build with our own hands. Just a cloud to be blown away, never mattering at all. What matters is our home for eternity, not this hotel room. What matters is those that we invite to come with us. What matters is those that we warn about refusing the invitation. There is only one way to check in there, and that is trusting and believing in the one who is the ultimate Creator. Keep your eyes on the sky friends.... and look for the SON.
