The kingdom of heaven, wrote the prophet, is often hidden by fear, suffering, poverty, violence, and despair.
Then there is the Blue Sky, which is often hidden by clouds. Whether it is visible or not, it is always waiting for me to start my day.
As I’ve pursued my yearning for spirituality, I came to believe that the presence or invisibility of the blue sky is a reflection of me and my moods and feelings. The Blue Sky means much more to me than the weather.
Sometimes the sky reveals itself to us entirely.
Sometimes just a bit of blue is visible, sometimes none at all. My camera knows.
This very often mirrors my mood and emotions. Sometimes I am at peace and full of hope; sometimes, there is only a bit of optimism and faith, and sometimes none. It is always a comfort to remember that the Blue Sky is up there, clouds or not.
I have this idea – impossible, of course – that the sky will tell me where I am and where I am going. If I don’t see it, I need to stop and settle down, restore myself through meditation and plain old thinking.
I am reminded that hope, faith, and mindfulness are always there, just above the clouds, even if I can’t see them. I see the Blue Sky as a barometer of my own spirit.
I use it to keep me level and strong. The Blue Sky reminds me to make good use of every minute and every hour of my daily life.
Remembering that often keeps me from fear, anger, or despair. The Invisible Blue Sky reminds me to walk away from fear, hatred, and judgment, a pillar of my hope for spirituality.
The Blue Sky has become a metaphor for me.
I am learning to use the world’s beauty, change, and challenge to help strengthen me and guide me toward a more peaceful spiritual life. My spirit is sometimes beautiful, sometimes bleak. The Blue Sky is a kick in the ass, reminding me of hope.
The Blue Sky is always there with me, whether it is above the clouds or not. It reminds me that we need community, compassion, and love to face the challenge to do good to keep from sinking into that swamp of anger swirling all around us.
To elaborate on that track of thought: if you cannot see the blue sky from where you are, nothing is keeping you from changing your perspective…
Example from my own life: in the suburbia I will be moving out from soon, we have limited views of the sky from the house. I go to the back window and observe the strip of sky I see. No blue. Then I walk to the front of the house, step out and, surprise, blue sky! It can vary so much. Even just driving 10km can show me something different.
So when depression hits or, in your case, you feel it is time to turn inwards, you have other choices as well… 🙂
very well stated. thank you Jon for your mindful thinking and choice of words. I agree re the blue sky…always available above the clouds and the contrast makes life profound.