Clouds

Apparently God wanted to teach me so much through airplanes this weekend! On my way back to Steubenville from Connecticut, it was raining once again. But not as hard, thank God, so the plane ride wasn't as bumpy. And it was during the day, which always makes everything less scary.

As we were taking off, it was very dark and cloudy. We steadily climbed through the clouds, until eventually we broke through. Up above the wall of dark clouds that was below us the sun was shining brilliantly. It was so beautiful. But of course the people couldn't see that from down on the ground- all they could see were the clouds.


I totally related this to God- above the stormy clouds of life that we all experience, there's a sun (God) that's always shining no matter what. We can't see Him through the clouds, but we have to believe that He's there anyways. This is what it means to have faith. To believe without seeing. This is also why we should praise God even in the midst of the worst storms of our life- because even if we can't see Him, He is there shining in all of His glory and splendor and deserves our praise.

This experience reminded me of a metaphor that St. Therese uses in her Story of a Soul, in the form of a little bird:
"The little bird...with daring abandon wants to stay fixed on its Divine Sun. Nothing could frighten it, neither wind nor rain, and if dark clouds come to hide the Star of Love, the little bird will not change its place. It knows that above the clouds its Sun is always shining, that its brilliance will not be able to be eclipsed for one single second.
Sometimes, it is true, the little bird's heart finds itself assailed by the storm. It seems to it that it cannot believe that anything else exists than the clouds that are enveloping it...the imperfect little creature lets itself become a little distracted from its only duty. It takes a little seed from the right or the left, runs after a little worm...Then, encountering a little puddle, it gets its feathers wet, feathers that have scarcely been formed. However, after all its misadventures, instead of going to hide in a corner to weep over its misery...the little bird turns towards its beloved Sun. It presents to Its kindhearted rays its little wet wings. I have the hope that one day, my Adored Eagle, You will come to get Your little bird, and going back up with it to the Home of Love, You will plunge it for eternity into the burning Abyss of Love."