I love storms! The roll of the thunder, the lightening as it dances across the sky, the rain pouring off the edges of the roof. I just love it all. There is something cleansing to me about a good thunderstorm. Cloudy days are some of my favorite too. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love the sunshine, but sometimes those cloudy days just have a way of soothing your aching soul. But, clouds over my life, that’s another story.

I like things to flow smoothly. I find comfort in the known. I like knowing what to expect. But, without fail, life happens and we all find ourselves feeling like a cloud is looming overhead. No matter how hard we try to move past it, that cloud just lingers sometimes. Everything breaks, the money runs out, the kids are a wreck, the house is a disaster, you burn everything you cook, you can’t get anything right at work, you’re on edge and your temper is at an all time high. It is then that you realize your forecast is cloudy with a chance of storms.

I had a week of storms recently. Some days it was just cloudy, other days the thunderstorms rolled, and a few days I do believe a hurricane blew through. I was flipping through my Bible randomly and landed in Exodus. I began to read about the journey through the desert and my eyes landed on Exodus 13:21 “God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way…” (MSG).

A cloud covered them, shielded them, protected them, guided them… Interesting, isn’t it? To think that on the days where the clouds are so thick that you just don’t think you can make it, God may be protecting you. Or, what if that decision you make solely because of the cloud is God directing your path in that moment? Scenario after scenario I can envision God using something as simple as a cloud. It’s funny how different you view things the older you get. Things that used to be a nuisance are more of a moment to take a breath. And for me, now, cloudy days just won’t ever be the same. I’m not saying I won’t get weary or dream for the sunshine, but if it takes those cloudy days for me to stay on the right path or to be shielded from the enemy…I’ll take a forecast of cloudy with 100% chance of Jesus!