Last year I truly experienced what is known as the "empty-nest
syndrome". For the first time of my life, both of my sons left home to
either attend university or seminary, and my youngest one decided to
attend a seminary on the other side of our huge country. Gone were the
days of seeing his ready smile. Now I would only get to see him for a
few days every year.
As this was his first solo flight into
no-man's land, my wife decided to accompany him. Now I completely
supported this idea; still, I found myself completely alone at home. The
"empty-nest syndrome" became way too vivid, and it didn't take me long
to fall into self-pity.
Still, during this time of duress and
loneliness, my Heavenly Dad came through big time. I remember one
afternoon, just when I was completely demoralized, I looked through my
bedroom window and was greeted by a smiling cloud.
A smiling
cloud???
I couldn't believe my eyes! I had never seen such a
thing before, and deep down, I felt my Dad's presence, reassuring me
with this "smile", hand-crafted by Him for me alone, that He was with
me.
Wow! I found myself filled with adrenaline, and rushing
downstairs, I took a couple pictures of the cloud. After all, no one
would believe what I had experienced! I eventually enlarged one of the
pictures, and it now hangs in my living room. Whenever I feel I am down
for some reason, I look at it and I cannot help but smile, for my Father
is with me.
And God didn't stop by only blessing me with a
smiling cloud. On my daily 4K walk, I met people who not only nodded at
me as usual, but also smiled brightly at me. Not one or two, but many of
them. It's as if they knew what I was going through and were there to
brighten my day. We have no idea how powerful smiles truly are. These
filled me with hope and love, for I knew my Heavenly Dad was making this
possible.
Some of those people I met were some Mennonite friends.
I used to teach their daughter, and I always feel so encouraged when I
meet a former student of mine who has developed a worthwhile goal in
life. It filled my heart with joy for the remainder of the day.
That same weekend, my oldest son came home for a camping experience with
his dad. It was so special that the next year we did another camping
experience together.
My Father in Heaven came through big time in
my time of need. I may have been completely alone at home, but God's
presence was palpable.
Jesus could vouch for this when He said:
"You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with
me." (John 16:32b, NIV2)
We are never alone. Dad is always with
us. It is our preoccupations, our lengthy to-do-lists, and our
seemingly-endless responsibilities that make it so that we have no time
to realize that we are not alone. Reality is, our Dad is constantly with
us.
When, for some reason, we find ourselves all alone, devoid of
friends and family, we need to stand still and perceive His presence.
Our Dad is truly with us!
One elderly lady at our church said
once: "Out of the valley, up to the mountain top with God. I choose joy
over grief. God is my husband!" That lady had just lost her dear husband
5 months earlier.
God loves us so much that whenever we feel
completely down, He embraces us tenderly, appeasing our tears with His
tenderness, while His voice gently urges us to trust that He will always
be there for us. Especially when we find ourselves lonely, away from all
loved ones! It is during those times that He shines through even more
brightly!
Feeling lonely?
Anticipate experiencing God
fully. This will fill you with adrenaline and give you something to look
forward to!
Rob Chaffart
The Smiling Cloud. Majestic Mountain View, part 3
Today's Bible Verse:
"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you.
Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." (Matt 5:4,
MSG)
The Smiling Cloud. Majestic Mountain View, part 3
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