A few years back while living in the Conejo Valley, one Friday at about 6 AM I walked out to get the morning paper and found clear, calm blue skies, and a nicely temperate temperature. Why so many move to SoCal. By 10 AM, everything changed. The typical slight southwest wind reversed itself into a Santa Ana condition, a high gale coming from the northeast, with gusts up to 70 mph. And I was headed into the wind that afternoon, leaving for a weekend trout expedition with my grandson to Tom’s Place, above Bishop in the Sierra Nevada range. I now know what a rat feels like when shaken by a dog. Side gusts moved us a foot or more, and fighting the wind head on dropped our gas mileage from an expected 24 down to 19. I like to cruise easily, with one hand on the wheel. I had to drive the entire trip. Both hands on the wheel. Firmly. Looking for breaks in between big rigs that allowed blasts of air to rock us.
Fortunately, the wind subsided when we arrived, and the joy of catching and releasing a lot of trout was only exceeded by the time with Josh. Heading back on Sunday, I hoped for a tailwind to balance the headwind from Friday. No luck on that, but the wind did something better. Enough breeze remained to scatter the air borne ice crystals into two cirrus clouds like looked just like angel wings. Even better than the ones above. Almost perfectly symmetrical.
And, they stayed in the western sky as we chased them home. For probably 50 miles, they were the dominant feature in the sky.
I don’t want to get too spooky here. I’m not saying God formed that cloud to remind me of him. Could he? Absolutely! Did he? I have no idea, and I heard neither a booming thunderous voice from heaven nor a soft whisper of the wind to enlighten me. But I do know the effect it had on me, and Josh as well.
I took it as a reminder, intentionally or accidentally means little, that he’s watching. He’s caring.
He’s there. Do I have a guardian angel? I think scripture supports the idea. I sometimes suspect that I must have a squadron to have survived so long. Was this my angel? No clue.
But in my carnality, my obsession on the material, physical world, I need regular reminders that the spiritual dimension possesses more reality than what I can sense. Not two separate realities, merely two dimensions, of which one is more difficult to see. One nice thing about trout fishing, it’s not brain surgery. You have a lot of time to ponder, meditate, and pray. I did a lot over the weekend. Yet I cherish the reminder that God is real, is watching, and is caring.
Kick Starting the Application
Think back on some of the reminders of God’s presence that you’ve experienced, either from your own actions or some outside agency. Like a cloud. Like a word from a friend. Like warm sunshine putting golden aspen leaves aglow. How easy is it for God to gain your attention? What works? What keeps you from sensing those hints? What practical steps can you take to see them more often?