Perspective

Right now, this day, this hour when I look at this picture I see the black clouds. I see the black clouds because I feel like there is one hanging over my head, shoulders, feet and heart. It feels heavy, thick, suffocating and despair.

However, some may look at this picture and focus on the light rays shining through those dark clouds. They may feel hope, happiness, warmth and love. I guess our feelings that we conjure up after looking at this picture depends on where we are at emotionally each day. The funny thing is this picture could look different tomorrow.

Today, I feel gloom. I feel heaviness. I feel weighted down by all the baggage that is brought into my home on occasion. I am a mom and I feel responsible to fix it all the baggage and make it right for those that I love. Love is so deep and so is their baggage. Their pains, my pains, it is all the same.

Today, I am going to try to escape from the dark clouds and feel the rays of sunshine on my back. I need to practice the saying "letting go and letting God." This letting go part is hard for everyone and it is hard to admit that we all carry a sense of arrogance in thinking we are not seeing the dark clouds by our words or actions. Our emotions effect those around us, good or bad. I'm not proud of my emotions, but they are mine and I own them and I am going to try to change those today but what I really wish is that I could change the circumstances that surround them.

I have a really good friend that sent me this little meditation yesterday, how fitting considering my state. Thought I would share it.

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.



"

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God... One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy--when I see my image in it.'

.....the black cloud that I am seeing today may be from the fire that I was engulfed in yesterday.

I am starting to feel warm again from the rays of sunshine.

Remember that God has his eye on you and me and He will keep watching us until he sees His image in us.

It's all about perspective...........and letting go, letting God.