Today has been a paint chart study of the color gray. I watched the overcast sky from my porch perch and marveled at all the colors that composed the sky today. The clouds were thin wisps this morning letting the warm blue of the morning sky peek through. As the day progressed Father Sky picked up his pastels and began shading his collection of clouds in various shades of gray and white. I loved the colors he chose and I love to hold up the paint strips and find the correct names and shades to identify them.

Using his white pastel sticks Father Sky sketched the colors of alabaster, pearl, bone, and hoariness across the clouds resting low on the horizon and rubbed gray pastel stick colors of flint, coin, chalk, and goose on his dull white clouds floating high in the sky. Once he finished his cloud rendering of an overcast sky, he quickly pushed his pewter pastel across the bottoms of the low clouds, darkening their bellies with rain. With a bright bolt of lightning and a thunder clap that rattled the windows in my home, the clouds rained themselves out of color. Unanimously dull white now, the clouds are waiting on the night to cloak them in darkness.

No pageant of sunshine tonight and I’m tired and cannot call one up in my imagination. But I know it was glorious candy for the eyes behind the clouds as the sun rolled down and turned out the day’s light. Father Sky had to don his inky black mackintosh and put his slicker yellow sou’wester on his head to go and wake the moon and stars. Bet he had to drag them out of their overcast cloud covers tonight. The day ends and the night begins with the steady fall of raindrops. Good sleeping weather with the windows open, being lulled to sleep by the rain’s lullaby punctuated by the train’s lonely wails.

When the thunder rumbled near dark, I left the swing and came into the lady den. I picked up a book of quotes to peruse while I listened to the rain’s twilight symphony. I shut my eyes and flipped through the book determined to randomly pick a quote and try and relate it to today. “Every day might not be glorious, but there’s something glorious in every day. Find the glory,” Caleb. What a great quote for a rainy night.

Years ago when my oldest grandson was in the hospital with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, my son Thomas told me not to come in Alexander’s hospital room unless I had a smile on my face. “No crying allowed,” he said, “We want him to see happy faces.” That was hard as I watched Alexander lose the use of both arms. My glory moment of those days was watching Emerson and Alexander smile when they saw each other each afternoon when I brought Emerson to the hospital for a visit.

Those visits were moments of glory as we watched the boys play happily on Alexander’s hospital bed. I’d say a quick prayer for strength when I entered the hospital room and then another prayer of thanksgiving watching the glorious sun setting on another day as I drove home at twilight each day with Emerson. I knew whatever was coming our families would face it together and our faith would sustain us. We would find the glory in these days of Alexander’s illness.

I was so impressed with the faith in the Lord that Thomas and Ashley clung to and they found moments of glory in their son’s life threatening situation. Their faith in God gave them hope that Alexander would recover. They stayed positive facing a parents’ worst nightmare, never lost their faith and Alexander recovered. So, so many prayers were prayed for this darling child and with years of therapy he regained the use of his arms. He’s a teenager now, thriving and enjoying his life full of sports and band and Scout activities.

Today was glorious for me and I found my glory in the day. Oldest brother came over for a porch visit this morning and we talked about our goldfinches. My oldest son called me on the phone late afternoon and we enjoyed our pleasant conversation. He’s a busy man with his work and family responsibilities but he always finds time to help me.

And I saw an indigo bunting on one of my bird feeders, so beautiful in his dark aqua plumage. Had a bird box of crayons with the bright yellow goldfinches, the crimson cardinals, and the indigo bunting briefly sitting on the same feeder. I so wanted to sneak out in the yard for a photo. My crayon box didn’t last long, a loud car drove by and scared the indigo bunting away. Never saw him again this afternoon. Hope he was a scout and will come again bringing all his friends.

The Lord fills our days with glory we just have to look for it. When we’re overcome with the challenges of life, a brief moment of quiet and a quick prayer can make all the difference. Sometimes when life knocks us down, it seems easier to just give up and forge ahead in the darkness than to try and find some glory in our situation. God fills our lives with glorious blessings but we have to have faith to see them. Even in the darkest of days God will gift us with his glorious light and give us peace. Find the glory in your day and be thankful for life’s simple blessings.

“The small and simple things you choose to do today will be magnified into great and glorious blessings tomorrow.” — Ann M. Dibb