Shapes in the Clouds

Have you ever looked up in the sky, watched the clouds floating by, and discovered a whole world of creatures and activities within them? 

Have you ever looked up in the sky, at the stars that dot the night, and discovered a whole world of heroes and epic quests? 

Have you ever looked at the bark of a tree and seen faces looking back at you? 

The world is full of shapes and patterns and designs, and we could easily look at them as nothing more than shapes and patterns and designs, but humanity doesn't like to do that. We like to find deeper meaning and symbolism. Clouds aren't just clouds. They're ever changing animals parading through the blue expanse. Stars aren't just stars. They're dragons and hunters and bears. Cracks in bark and craters on the moon are faces of souls that are trapped within.

This ability to see beyond the obvious, to use creativity and imagination, is an amazing and wonderful gift. It's a gift that comes from a creative and imaginative God who speaks beauty into existence and sets epic adventures in motion.

When was the last time you looked at the clouds and discovered the narrative hidden within? I’d encourage you to do so. Look for the story beyond the obvious.

God is a wonderfully creative creator and storyteller, and He has left His fingerprints on the world and in our lives. He created us in His image, with the ability to imagine and create. 

With that in mind, I have a question for you. How many different shapes or creatures or scenes or faces do you see in these pictures? These are my shower walls, and I've discovered tons of different things in the designs of the walls. I see faces and dragons and fish and roosters. I actually see four dragons, dragons that correspond to the four different types of dragons in a story I started writing several years ago. Do I see the dragons because the story was already in my mind? Did the story evolve because of the dragons I saw in the patterns on my shower wall? I don't know, but I do know that it is fun to look at the world and find things you didn't expect. 

I posted the other day about the chip I found that looked like Jay Leno or “the man in the moon," and I've found hearts all over the place, from potato chips to nuts to marshmallows. The other day I found a small water puddle, just a few drops, really, that resembled a face. All these things make me smile. They bring amusement and joy, if only for a moment, and I wonder, sometimes, are we seeing things that aren't there, using our overactive imaginations to distort reality into something enjoyable or did the Creator hide these things intentionally? Did He shape the clouds like a bunny just for you? (Job 37:16) Did He set the stars in place, just so, to create abstract drawings in the sky to be enjoyed by those who take a moment to stop and slow down and appreciate the art and the artist? (Job 9:9) It's probably a bit of both, I suppose, God gave us beauty and allowed us to have minds to find it and create it ourselves. 

So, enjoy the beauty and imagination and art in the world around you. Look for it in unexpected places. Praise God from whom creativity and imagination is derived.