Clouds

Every time I fly I am inspired to write about the beauty of the clouds. However, I have yet to determine adequate words to describe them. A few days ago I had to leave my wife and daughter on the ground in Tennessee while I flew back to Missouri to go to work. My daughter is now 11 weeks old and I have never been more than 45 miles away from her. Leaving her and my wife was difficult to say the least. I could no longer feel protective of them this far away. Before I boarded the plane I waved to my family and heard my daughter cry. She wasn't crying because her papa was leaving, she was crying because she was hungry. However, my heart has not ached like that in my historical recollection.

During the taxi and takeoff my stomach was sour and my throat was dry with the thoughts of being away from my family. Those feelings momentarily dissipated as we crested the clouds. Below the clouds a hurricane ordered rain and gloom to rule the day. Above this was only blue and white. Peace. I had finally figured it out, found the word. Peace, is the best way to describe the area that we as children thought was Heaven. God was definitely residing there. At that moment I realized the purpose of clouds. They are God's way of shielding his eyes from our transgressions and then he cleanses us with the rains.

Loneliness was replaced with awe while coasting in peace.