Disregarding a Gray Day
I adjusted the
window blinds in the living room where Dad’s bed is located. As I began feeding
him breakfast, I found myself saying, “Well, Dad, today is supposed to be
overcast, but at least there is no freezing precipitation.” What progress!
Even though for 33
years, the classrooms where I taught had no windows, it never seemed to bother
me - perhaps since the classrooms were well lit. However, when I retired and began
helping my mother care for my father, as well as assuming the role of caring
for their small herd of cattle, the impact of the weather daily affected me. Suddenly,
I became aware of depression descending on days devoid of sunshine.
Recently, I have
discovered friends who also are impacted by the days without being able to see and
feel the warmth of the sun’s glow. What a weighty foreboding the outdoor
environment can bring upon many of us, leaving us with a heaviness, rendering
us practically incapable of functioning! However, demands of family, work, and
life require those with the “dreariness” disorder to continue to perform.
Finding a way to accomplish our responsibilities necessitates help outside of ourselves.
Paul advised in Colossians
3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (ASV)
I found myself humming
or singing phrases from the old hymns like “Sunshine in My Soul” or “Heavenly
Sunlight” or the praise song “Shine, Jesus, Shine” as I would be walking to
check the water in the stock tank on those gloomy, gray days. Just hearing the
tunes and singing uplifting words raised my spirits as I trudged along.
When I heard myself telling Dad of the positive
aspects of a cloudy day, I realized at least for those early morning hours, I
had learned a greater level of trust, which in turn, enabled me to honor God by
focusing on Him instead of the outdoor atmosphere.
Over the last
couple of years, I fought the pull of the slough
of despond on overcast days by reading, quoting, and meditating on
scripture that dealt with the surety of God’s character and His desire to interact
with us. Those gloomy days allowed me to choose to actively trust, moment by
moment, regardless of how the weather conditions affected my feelings.
One of the most
valuable passages is Malachi 4:2. The prophet wrote by divine inspiration, “But
for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in
His wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to
pasture.”(NLT)*
Malachi foretold
of Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, using a brilliant, powerful comparison. The
metaphoric word picture of Jesus as the sun provides encouragement during these
dull, cloudy days. I haven’t yet arrived at behaving like those invigorated
little calves spoken of in the verse, but that vivid simile gives me a vibrant
image to meditate on when those gloomy skies appear. How reassuring that the
Lord illumines our lives even when the sun doesn’t. He uses those energetic
little bovines as a visual reminder that we can rise freely above the murkiest
of days with the same freedom of calves leaping joyfully. Who would
have ever guessed those frisky calves would be used in my life as such learning
tools?
 |
| I snapped this photo right before this little calf skipped off. |
*Some readers may sense that they have sung similar words as Malachi 4:2. Charles Wesley used these phrases below when he penned Hark! The Herald Angels Sing in the eighteenth century.
Hail the heav'nborn Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
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