What Do You See?

What do mashed potatoes, smoke, whipped cream, fancy feathers, wispy beards, and foamy heads on the tops of glasses of beer have in common? If we use our imagination, and look up, we might see reminders of all those things. If the weather is clear and a big blue sky is the background canvas, we may be reminded of calm, peaceful images. If storms and/or high winds are in the area, our imagination could suggest other pictures to us. Shapes of animals can even emerge. Looking for shapes can even be a fun activity to challenge little children as they ride in the car and pay attention to the overhead environment instead of the over-popular internet!

Life and cloud formations have certain similarities. Just as life has changes of pace, highs and lows, and constant movement, so do cloud formations. Everything is moving along. At various times, at different locations, under changing or growing influences, what we experience can be interpreted in any number of ways.

On a spiritual level, we can see that at different stages of our development our understanding and interpretation of faith-based conclusions can change. In the gospel reading yesterday, (Mark 8:27-35), Jesus asks his disciples who people say that he is. Some people see him as a prophet, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah. Peter calls him “the Christ.” During the conversation, Jesus even calls Peter “Satan” because Peter had rebuked Jesus for saying He would suffer and be killed. Jesus tells his followers to deny themselves, be ready to lose their lives to save them and the message of the gospel. Wow! Those cloudlike thoughts are moving right along! Things seem to be changing!

So let’s think about our spiritual lives right now. Sure, there are days when we feel inspired. Sometimes our environment suggests or promotes a particular focus on God’s love and mercy. Perhaps our associates share similar beliefs of a religious nature, and we are moved to share and listen. Other times, we might feel spiritually neutral or even stagnant. Life makes us feel too busy to pray or read scripture. We might feel discouraged, foggy, or quite uneasy. In these periods, we see only gray, cloudy life-skies, and those persistent clouds aren’t moving fast enough!

It is good to have “simple prayer days” or “special, open, focused prayer days.” We might pick a particular psalm and pray it a number of times on a certain day. Other times, we might attend an extra Mass or prayer service or seek out some new Christian reading material. There are many options out there! Share ideas with prayerful companions. We should try to keep moving in a holy direction and not let Satan suggest lazy alternatives. Lose the “lazy-s” and work on the God-centered “coming-closers.” Keep spiritual skies clear and open to positive love, moving images!

     Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

       sing praise with the harp to our God,

   Who covers the heavens with clouds,

       who provides rain for the earth;

   Who makes grass sprout on the mountains

       and herbs for the service of men.” (Psalm 147:7-8)

   🙏

Photo on Unsplash in cooperation with Ave Calvar.

The psalm is taken from the New American Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, 1990.

Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.