Beyond the Wall of Clouds
Words by Danelle Macaulay, London, England
God gives us a new perspective to surmount our troubled times.
“A simple voyage by plane gives us a revelation of the world which our imagination cannot anticipate... At the same time that the feeling of our new situation delights us, it confuses us with the memory of the cares and annoyances with which we let ourselves be troubled on that same earth that we catch sight of below us as we cross over holes in the plain of clouds that we are overlooking from an enchanted world which was there all the time, and when we are returned to our modest condition of walking, we no longer feel the weight of the grey sky upon us because we will remember that beyond this wall of clouds, so easily crossed, there exists the splendour of the sun; the perception of limitless space, in which we felt for a moment so free.” - Henri Matisse
Two months into ‘lockdown’ in the UK, I’m sitting on my roof terrace in central London and I’m reminded of these words. There are very few planes flying overhead and the city is eerily quiet. We’ve been brought to a standstill, and in the quiet, perhaps we’ll start noticing the ‘enchanted world’ again that God has blessed us with. I watch the bees flitting from flower to flower in our pot plants and marvel at their beautifully delicate shadows – how fragile they seem. And yet, we have a Creator who not only loves the flowers of the fields and these little creatures, but He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
We may all feel the weight of the sky on our shoulders, particularly so at present. The future may seem uncertain and survival is a daily struggle. But, let us hold on to the knowledge that beyond ‘this wall of clouds’, there exists the splendour of our Lord Creator. Let us bring all our ‘cares and annoyances’ and lay them at His feet. And His limitless grace will continue to sustain us, whatever the future may look like.
Words by Danelle Macaulay, London, England
Jun 10
