Cloud Overhead

By Jessica Breazeale

Look at this picture.

What do you see?

Imagine a man walking along with a cloud hanging directly above his head.

He walks into town. The cloud follows.

He goes home. The cloud follows.

He travels across the country. The cloud still follows.

Now, what do you see?

One person might say, “That man is depressed. Darkness is following him everywhere he goes.”

Another might say, “No, he’s a thinker. That cloud is filled with ideas, imagination and creativity.”

Someone else may see the cloud and say, “He’s carrying a burden.”

And another may look at the very same picture and say, “That reminds me of Moses. The cloud represents the presence of God.”

Same man. Same cloud. Different perspectives.

So, who is right?

Maybe they all are.

We often look at people and situations and immediately decide what we are seeing. We see the cloud and assume we know the story. But what if there is more to it? What if the darkness we see is actually protection? What if the burden we see is creativity? What if the thing that appears to be following someone is actually guiding them?

That is the bigger picture.

Sometimes the most important thing isn't what we see but realizing that someone else may be looking at the same thing and seeing something completely different.

So the next time you see someone walking beneath a cloud, don’t be too quick to decide what it means.

You may be looking at the picture.

But are you seeing The Bigger Picture?