“Is it going to be nice out today?”
I’m greeted with this question every day when I’m getting started at work. Usually my answer is tied to the amount of sunshine that is predicted by the weather channel’s forecast.
Today, I began thinking about that and wondered if my response needed some fine tuning. After all, sunshine is not the only nice weather.
It certainly is nice to have a warm sunny day in the middle of January and to be able to sit outside in shirt sleeves or a light sweater. There’s a great feeling when things are bright and clear and the air is fresh.
Clouds bring their own beauty, however, and if we never had cloudy days we would miss their unique puffy art.
Have you ever noticed how many different kinds of clouds there are and how many shades of color, light, and darkness they display?
They can be shaped in a myriad of ways too – sometimes looking like a face in the sky or a herd of horses running across the setting sun.
Even when the winds start to howl and the thunder comes crashing down, there is a pageant to behold. Of course we need to find a safe place to view this wild art, but often our porch or car can become a wonderful theatre to watch these darker displays of God’s beautiful creation.
The unique sounds, smells, and sights of a thunderstorm with heavy rain can be a majestic event to enjoy, even if its power can be a bit frightening.
Even the coldest weather can bring a beauty all its own. Mounds of pure white snow on the ground and evergreens weighed down with white frosting everywhere is a breathtaking scene!
How beautiful it is when huge snowflakes come floating down in the moonlight, glistening like jewels from heaven. A frozen lake reflecting the scenery around it is another unique beauty that only comes with the coldest temperatures.
Today’s forecast calls for rain – lots of rain. So will it be a “nice” day out today?
It depends on our perspective.
Will we only see the lack of sunshine, or will we see God’s beauty and presence in the storm? It’s up to us.
“Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
His going out is sure as the dawn;
He will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”
– Hosea 6:3