Clouds and Mountains and Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones

I've come to realize that I CRAVE Vitamin D. No, I NEED it!  After returning from Florida, in early February, I struggled with my 'feelings', my attitude.
While the clouds that cover the sky for 99.98 percent of the time during the winter months in Iowa were literally hiding the sunshine from me, my 'clouds of feelings' were causing
a greater damage in my heart.
Feelings of fatigue, jealousy, anger and the desire to be anywhere but here
were wrestling deep inside...stealing my joy.

Since coming down from my beach-front property high I've come to realize just how much I allow my
circumstances and what surrounds me influence me.  If 1 John 3 is, in fact, true, why don't I live like it?
Why don't I allow God to be greater in my life than my feelings?
He still IS greater, but all too often I don't allow him to rule over my thoughts and emotions.  I don't
trust that his ways are greater than my ways, and that he truly does have my best interest
in mind.  Even amidst very real struggles, not just the 'But I wanna be on a beach, not snowed in' struggles.

This week started with our oldest son spending Sunday night throwing up every 30 minutes for over 7 hours.
The 'plague' has continued to make it's rounds, and is taking it's sweet time at doing so.
This week, I've struggled again to see through the clouds that are masking my days and trust that God is bigger than any circumstance.
I opened Sally's devotional book this morning in an effort to find a glimmer of hope, something to brighten my day, and this is what I found.

Clouds and Mountains and Stars

By Sally Lloyd Jones, from her book Songs That Make Your Heart Sing

"Have you noticed that when it's cloudy you can't see the stars?

And that sometimes clouds can hide even mountains from you?

For a moment it seems as if there are no stars shining, no mountains standing.

Have the mountains moved?  Have the stars stopped shining?

No. The clouds have just hidden them.  

Feelings can be like clouds- they blow in and hide things from us.  Sometimes 

they tell us God doesn't care.  Or that God is far away.

The writer Amy Carmichael said, "Our feelings do not affect God's facts."

Our feelings come and go.  But God stays the same.  His promises are still shining."

"God is greater than our feelings."  1 John 3:20 [NLT]