Today was picture perfect. Dark blue sky, warm sunshine. Father Sky dragged his white pastel stick intermittently across the sky, occasionally leaving streaks of cloud wisps. Late afternoon he drew rounded fluffy clouds, graying the tops, placing them around the sky in a pretty here and pretty there pattern. The clouds were so white and the sky so blue. A lovely day!

I sat in the swing for a little while pondering on the beauty of the sky and the clean white clouds. Noticed my new woodpecker feeder was not on the pole. The dagnabbit raccoon took my new woodpecker feeder off the pole and took it across to my neighbor’s yard. Opened it up and ate the suet cake. I just thought, well, Merry Christmas Grandpaw. I’ll just bring the feeder in at night from now on.

I fell asleep watching Gunsmoke this afternoon and missed the beginning of the sun set pageant. But when I woke and looked outside, the horizon was bathed in a tropical glow of golden mango honey. The trees were so pretty, their bare black limbs silhouetted against the golden sky line. As the sun rolled down the horizon, she darkened the pageant backdrop to an orange glow, a far away forest fire flame shade, and closed the day with a kiss from Father Sky. The velvety clouds hanging in the sky canvas turned pink and purple, dressing themselves in colorful frocks to match the sun’s formal pageant gown. Father Sky hung the luminous moon, twinkling stars embellished the navy sky canvas, and the night was awakened.

Love Mark Twain’s quote about the sky. “The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And, why shouldn’t it be? —it is the same the angels breathe.” Don’t you know the sunsets from heaven’s point of view are spectacular.

I was thinking about how life can mimic the sky. Some days the sky is clear, no clouds to mar the beauty of the blue canvas. As we look at the sky we know clouds will eventually come, just as we know life has its up and downs. Some clouds will bring storms and others will bring wondrous shades to the sun setting pageant. Every day of life cannot be a blue sky day. We wouldn’t appreciate every day being the same. Some days the clouds are fluffy and snow white, other days the clouds are angry and colored purple, full of moisture for rain. Rain will eventually dampen our lives. But don’t let the rainy days depress you. Those are days God pours his love down on us.

When our skies are beautiful and blue, just remember these days are gifts from God. Clouds both dark and light will enter our lives and we have the promise of a rainbow in the clean, clear sky after the storms pass. God wants us to weather the storms and be grateful for life on this planet, be appreciative of our blessings.

The sky canvas never changes, it stays the same. It might be covered by clouds but it’s always blue under the clouds. God’s love is like the sky, steadfast and never wavering. The clouds change the landscape of the sky, like the clouds in our lives sometimes make us question our faith. Just like the weather can unexpectedly change, we unexpectedly experience storms and changes in every area of our lives. If you put your clouds of doubt and trouble in God’s hands, you’ll have peace and tranquility after every storm. God’s love gives us blue skies and rainbows after the storms. Through our faith and prayers, we have assurance that God will ride the storms of life with us. He will hold us and carry us when the load of life’s storms are too heavy.

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” — Eleanora Duse