Vantage Point

A rather large alpine lake sits directly under this cloud layer.

When we drove into South Lake Tahoe on Friday we were greeted by a very unusual sight. Instead of a brilliant blue body of water, we were stunned to see what looked like a giant lump of cotton balls in its place, otherwise known as an inversion layer. The temperatures were upside down so that the warm air above forced the clouds into the lake basin while the sky remained clear. As we came down off the mountain pass, we left the bright sunshine behind and descended into the gloomy clouds. Underneath that massive cloud layer, the town was dank, chilly and dreary like a Charles Dickens novel ~ and it remained that way all weekend.

We couldn't wait to get into the gondola and ride it back into the warm, bright, welcoming sunshine.

Is this how it is with us and God? From His vantage point above the clouds He sees Truth, Beauty, Love, Forgiveness, Hope ~ life full of possibilities in relationship with Him. It's a glorious view, one that feeds the soul.

However, we can fall into the trap of viewing life from under the clouds. We see death, destruction, greed, envy, hatred, poverty, corruption, rejection, betrayal and loss, and reject God because of man's ways. We, in essence, place ourselves in bondage and cut ourselves off from what could be.


It really is a lovely vantage point from the mountain top. It really is thrilling to see the thick clouds below and know that I can live victoriously above. All I need to do is accept a ride in God's gondola ~ His Son already paid the price of the ticket.