EYE LEVEL WITH THE CLOUDS

We were encircled by lofty mountain grandeur in the Swiss Alps. Down below lay the calm, blue waters of the lake. Between the rugged peaks and the beautiful lake, single clouds drifted by on their way to some undisclosed destination.

As I awoke one morning and walked out onto the balcony, I realized, to my absolute amazement, that I was standing at eye level with the clouds. I had the the feeling that if I called to them they would come over and I could touch them, but I dared not disturb their tranquility. They wandered by and moved on, silently, yet intentionally, it seemed. It was as if those individual clouds had a life and a personality of their very own.

Yes. Those clouds were formed as a natural result of the atmospheric conditions, particular to that locality on that morning, but to me, on that occasion, those clouds were filled with the presence of God. This was another of those first time experiences that left an indelible impression on my mind. The words of the psalmist gave expression to the sentiment of my soul.

"Sing to God. Sing praise to the name of the Holy One. Extol the One who rides on the clouds, whose name is the the Lord". (Psalm 68:4, My paraphrase)