Lesson from Heaven's Mountains

Hi everyone,
So I may have posted something along these lines before but this week I had yet again a reminder of a message I want to share. This past week we have had a couple of decent storm in my area and I had the privilege and yes I said privilege (I am somewhat of a weather geek ;), of watching a particular storm come in as I was taking a walk one late afternoon at home. My open field gave me the perfect wide open space to watch the storm roll in. And I was utterly mesmerized as I watched the clouds build, billow and roll as if I was watching mountains form in the sky. With the sun's light silhouetting the top and shooting off beams of light into the sky and the dark deeply intricate structure of the lower clouds it created a stunning contrast. As it came closer and closer the shapes and structure of the clouds constantly changed and adjusted; never staying the same for long. The towers grew, split and broadened, until finally in the space of about 30mins. The clouds were completely above me and all I could see was the blanket underside of heaven's mountains. As I sat waiting for the rain to begin, what I had just witnessed ran over in my head and I gained this insight from it:
I realized that I just got to see something that would never be seen again. I got to witness something that will never be replicated exactly again. That particular storm system, the exact structure and beauty of those clouds and their silhouette, trimmed in the sun's rays would never be seen again specifically in that way ever again. I got to see something that maybe no one else got to witness in the exact way that I did. Now I may just sound like a crazy person and not be making any sense at all but the gravity of this hit me. Life is constantly changing. Just like those clouds, life builds and grows and progresses right before our very eyes. It never stays the same for long and before you know it, things are no longer the way they were before. And we have a choice to make...are we going to stop and enjoy those special moments as they present themselves before our very eyes or are we going to let them slip right past us? I live in the Midwest and it is early summer...we get storms regularly. But every time I stop and get to witness one come in, it never ceases to be an amazing experience to watch. It is easy to just ignore and go on with our daily business because often we have things that need to be done before the storm hits and I'm not telling you, you are missing out on meaning in life because you don't watch storms...I am just trying to use it an example. It is a given that we are going to get storms and rain...it is the way of nature that God intends. It is also a given that the events and activities of a human lifetime are going to happen as well. But are we going to take them for granted and choose to see them as just markers in the "checklist" of life or are we going to stop a minute and enjoy it fully and truly? Because every thing in this life can change in an instant. Nothing ever stays the same. Just as the clouds build and pass through, so does the things in our lives. The birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, first steps, first words, graduation, college, retirement...Life is made up of thousands of special moments in between all of these things, these are just some big markers. And at some point I think we choose to treat every day like just another day, every moment like it is just another moment....but it's not. It is the only moment exactly like that one. That exact moment will never be replicated again. Much like the clouds I witnessed, you will never get to see that exact "picture" again. And the special thing is that you get to choose how you see it and how you will remember it and no one can take that away from you. I got to witness a gorgeous display of God's amazing atmospheric creation. I get to hold that memory in my heart knowing that I witnessed something that will never be seen again in that exact way and no one can ever take that away from me. I will cherish that moment. What if we chose to hold every moment God gives us in this life with the same joy? Because things will inevitably change...the storms of life will come. But if we choose to enjoy every moment that is given to us...every smile, conversation, time spent with a loved one, "I love you", laugh, act of service, life's "firsts", then I believe we will find the strength to carry through the tough times with God's ever faithful grace. Because for every first there is last. Who knows how many there are in between but we should choose to treat it as if it were the last time we would ever experience such a thing. The joy on a child's face when they play on a playground, the voice of a dear friend over the phone, the feeling of rain on our skin, the warmth of a fire, the light of a sunrise....if we choose to see and cherish the beauty of some of the simplest moments in our lives, I think we will stop seeing all the negative in this world and see how amazing life really is. And if we look at these moments through the lens of how life is "just a vapor" (James 4:4), then I think we will be more diligent about choosing to cherish what is most important instead if getting caught up in the day-to-day rat race of just getting by. Those moments will be the ones we remember when we get to the end or if we lose something that is dear to us in this life, not the moments we didn't cherish or pay attention to or wishing we had made. I have had a rough past two weeks and I have lost vision a little and have forgotten to cherish those little moments that make up a life. And I am reminded that no matter how frustrated, difficult,complicated or busy my life gets, I don't want to lose those days to just mere survival. I want to thrive and strive to see the beauty in every moment and to bring some of that beauty to others and help them to learn to do the same. Because like the every-changing clouds we all are subject to the every-changing life. But the one thing that doesn't have to change is our decision to enjoy the moments that God gives us. Whether they be 30 minutes or 30 seconds. Because He wants to give us something special that no one else can receive and we can hold onto that forever. And the one person that never changes is God. He keeps His promises and no matter what changes that life brings us, good or bad, He will never leave us and will bring us through on the other side if we choose to let Him. The One who creates the beauty of the clouds, commands those clouds. Never forget His power and love for us and the every day gifts He presents to us.

"And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21:27 ESV