the clouds

Some days are just hard days.  This past Wednesday was a hard one for me.  Life just looked overwhelming to me and I couldn't seem to shake it. Nothing huge.  Nothing significant.  Just a hard day.
That evening, we were driving to church and there was a beautiful, breath-taking sunset.  The clouds were all kinds of brilliant colors and the pinkish-orange sky made such a dramatic backdrop.
I was reminded of something I either heard or read once before.  I had to share it with my daughters. 
I pointed out the amazing sunset and told them to picture it without the clouds.

It would be a very pretty sky but not nearly as awesome without the contrast of colors the clouds provided.
Sometimes we want our life to be cloud-free.
We think a perfect day would be described as, "Not a cloud in the sky."
When in reality, it is the clouds that reflect the brilliance of the sunset.
Rough times in our life reflect God's glory in beautiful ways if we allow Him to shape us into who he wants us to become.
Even when the days are hard, I'm so thankful for the clouds.