One of the treats of being a grandmother is listening to my grandchildren talk about the world God created for us.  The awe with which they share each and every facet of His Creation never ceases to amaze me.

“Look Grandma! Look at the sunset.  It is orange today!  There is a bird in the sky.  Grandma, where is the moon?  I can’t find it.  Is it hiding?  There is a horse, Grandma.”  As I try to keep up, the conversation continues to change.  All of a sudden I hear, “There it is!  There it is, Grandma!” 

“There is what, Sweetheart?  What did you find?”

They both answered in unison, “The moon, Grandma!  It was hiding!”    

I chuckled and asked, “Where was it hiding?” 

“It was hiding behind the clouds!”  Now, hide and seek, or “peek-a-boo,” is one of most young children’s favorite games, so the moon hiding behind the clouds was perfectly reasonable.  We began to discuss why the moon was hiding, and we came to the conclusion it was hiding from them.  We continued to chuckle and be amazed at how fast the clouds were moving.  The boys seemed to feel like the clouds were chasing us instead of hiding the moon now.

As I dropped off the boys at their home, I began to ponder over the conversation we had that night. My mind went back to the clouds racing across the moon.    I realized that so many times in life I am those clouds.  I am also racing here and racing there- trying to finish one task and then another.

How often do I stop and look at the clouds?  How many times do I look at the butterflies?  When was the last time I looked at the leaves in all their colorful glory?

Our Lord created this beautiful world for us to care for and to appreciate.  When was the last time we thanked Him for the sun and the moon?  As I thought about how I needed to be more thankful, my conversation with the boys that night took me on a trip down memory lane.

I must admit.  The boys looking at the moon reminded me of a sweet love letter my husband wrote to me many years ago. We had to be apart for a short time, and he wrote of the moon keeping us together.  We could look out and see the same moon!

The grandchildren talking about the sunset reminded me of a game we used to play with our own children.  We used to playfully argue over the sunset or sunrise.  We would tease back and forth, “He made it for me!–“No He didn’t.  He made it for me!”

I was reminded of the different sights we have seen driving to school each day.  As the seasons changed, the views we were privileged to see changed.  Sometimes we would see dirt mounds plowed in rows, and in a few weeks we would see high stalks of corn on both sides of the road.  My grandchildren pretend the stalks make a tunnel.

Later in the year, when all of the plants are gone, we might see snow piled up on the side of the road.  Each season brings its own beauty and its own pain.  Extreme heat and the brutal cold are unpleasant times for us all.  I remember the time hurricane Floyd came through and the family worked together to clean up our home and the school.

However, I was brought back to reality.  The clouds are still moving.  They seem oblivious to what is going on down below.  Life seems that way.  Each day goes by, with new challenges and new pleasures.  When I look at the clouds, I think of how fast life seems to be passing by.  The older I get, the faster the clouds seem to be moving.

I remember fondly the day my husband and I married.  It was a wonderful day.  I married the best man in the world.  I thought so then, and I know so now.

My children are all grown and have children of their own.  We have a beautiful family, but the clouds are still moving.

It seems like yesterday I was worrying about washing diapers, yes, washing diapers. Now, I have a granddaughter that is a junior in high school.

 It won’t be long, and life will be over. Did it just pass me by like the clouds passing the moon?  I have been so busy doing things.  I ask myself.  Have I been doing what is best?  I have to talk to myself when I get overwhelmed with the tasks ahead of me.  I can’t afford a pity party.

Yes, life is passing by.   It is how it is supposed to be.  The thing to remember is, “Are we allowing God to live through us, or are we fretting over things that don’t matter?”  God has given each of His children one life to live for Him.  We have to realize that living it for the increase of God’s kingdom is what matters.  We must seek to find out what He wants us to do!

Remember!  The clouds of your life are His!

Mrs. Worthington has five children and ten grandchildren.  She serves as Principal of Pathway Christian Academy in Goldsboro.