The Gray Clouds ahead of us/around us, metaphorically to me, are the stormy days, the days we take some "hits". When we get fired and tested, pruned and plucked. The grayness is our natures, existence in sin, our realities, and in our lives. Since we are in sin, the grayness could also be our trials/tribulations, our crosses we bear, the ones we don't want to bear, and the crosses that still need to be born by us, this is our weaknesses, our conditions, internally and externally.
Yet as the days go by, the storms roll in and they roll out, but to be able to know that God is there, and to learn to trust in that over time, thereby strenghening our Faith. Yes, it will get tested, that is how we get stronger. "We are made strong by the difficulties we face and not evade" Anonymous.
By facing our difficulties, we can take those lessons and be grateful for the opportunity of growth for our person, and letting Jesus transform our present habits into better ones, which will help us deal and cope better with people and situations that used to get the best of us before. The harder thing, is to apply it to our lives and areas that need re-adjusting. By the re-adjustment in Christ, He can change the grayness in our inner storms, by bringing in more light (Jesus), so we don't stay stuck in our own grayness, we can start clearing the skies in ourselves. With courage and perserverence in the learning and the lessons, we will see what works and what doesn't in ourselves and with others. Keep the good, dump the bad or at least try to.
When we are in the thick of the storm, on earth and in mankind, to be able to see the joy in the sorrow, to see the light in the dark, to hear, to feel, to go to the light in the dark. This joy, this light that we sense somehow in our beings, to be able to sense or feel God's love and to take refuge in God's love is a grace God gives freely, we just have to take it. When God's will is being done in our lives, and it doesn't feel too good, typically a pretty stormy time in our lives, this is time our Faith is made stronger and stronger in our Lord Jesus Christ, that IS God made Flesh. We must remember that is what Jesus did for us by His Passion, Death and Resurrection. The sorrow passed and Glory now reigns forever more, death has been destroyed by the Light. This reminds me of a quote I just came across, it is by Fr. Timothy Vakoc, US Army Chaplain, "The safest place for me to be is in the center of God's will, and if that is in the line of fire, that's where I'll be"
To be able to see the rainbow in our personal storms, and know "this too shall pass", and when it does, we will be even closer to our Lord Jesus Christ, the "sunnier days" to be had in our Lord Jesus. When the storms are around us and on the verge of clearing it away and the light is ahead of us, we can see it in the silver lining of the clouds. The light right behind the gray clouds, makes the clouds glow, it surrounds every iota of periphery, the light surrounds the grayness.
How are we to see the rainbow in our storm? I feel we can try to see the brighter side of the situation, to appreciate truly HOW AMAZINGLY MYSTERIOUS is our God's will in this world, but never question its perfection, there is no need to question because it is of God, and God is the only one Good, Jesus said that Himself in the Bible. Being able to see it, (rainbows or silver linings), by seeing the good in any bad situation, the brighter side, or taking "the high road" in any given situation usually one that you may not want to take the higher road, those situations of some kind of conflict or disagreement. Taking the higher road or the brighter side is definately a good test of humilty, and where we stand on that scale at that time, to be able to let go of our pride, at let things happen as they may. Thereby, be able to stand firm on the Rock of Refuge in Christ Jesus, so when the storms hit, we shall not be moved from Him.
To keep the sun to our backs for guidance and protection for God's will to be done in us and in the world, to keep the sun in front of us, so we can see the rays of light, of hope, of beauty that is to be had in God's will for each one of us, no matter what the day/night may bring. To be able to see, but more importantly, APPRECIATE THE GLIMPSES of goodness, faithfulness, trustworthiness of our God in our lives, everyday all the time, in the storms of life and in its rainbows. Why? because God's will is always unfolding and being fulfilled in the ways of God, through His Son and in the Holy Spirit, in the vastness of the universe and IN HIS PEOPLE, US.
God Bless You!!!T
