In the eye of the Beholder

The winter was a long one, and as the weather got sunnier in may, the beauty of the clouds struck me as they never did before. looking out into the sky, the clouds take up different shapes and sizes, different textures and colors. simple shades forming intricate patterns, always moving, always changing, always stunningly beautiful. sometimes the clouds are a translucent gray, sometimes a gleaming white. as the wind blows the clouds move along with it, fanning themselves across the sky like wild flowers stretching across a plain, a drifting shoal of silvery fish. cotton wool in a blue sea.

At dusk, the dying sun sits regally in the sky, like a symbol of power. a fiery violent orb suspended in a pool of lava using the last of its energy to stain the sky magnificent hues ranging from crayola-orange to tickle-me-pink, a brilliant scarlet in the sky. as the colors deepen and the night settles in, the piercing lights of buildings shine against the blue-black of the evening darkness.

Water falling in powerful torrents during tropical rainstorms, pounding and blurring the surroundings to a soft gray. the sound of rain drumming on the pavement, washing the dust away. when the rain stops, the air will be clean and unpolluted. the sun will shine brighter than before.

Every day, we are caught up in an endless cycle of school, work, exams and social activities, that often we fail to appreciate the beauty around us. unaware of the wonders only one look away, we moan and complain about our stressful lives.

Just look anywhere. look at the hills in the distance, up at the sky through the leaves of trees, everything just seems to fit in with everything else, the crisp outlines of the buildings on sunny days, and the soft damp blur on misty days. Clouds hanging low in the sky, shrouding the highest hills with white drapes. The power of the rain that falls during typhoon season, and the unusual clarity of the sky and air afterwards. this cycle that symbolizes our lives, our walk with Christ. so beautiful and complex, yet so very simple.

He loves you so much he created all of these beautiful things, and though it seems too good to be true, he loves you more than anything else in the world. All of this beauty is everywhere, you just have to know where to look.