June Gloom
Before moving to Southern California a few weeks ago, I assumed that the sun always shines here. What we found was that our first few days were cloudy. After a few days, it would be overcast til noon with a sun break during midday. It wasn’t long before the locals began to educate us on the weather phenomena known in these parts as “June Gloom”.
As the desert side of the mountains begin to heat up in the early summer, the coastal waters haven’t quite caught up. What results is basically a fog which hangs over this southern tip of Orange County as the warm air and cool air mingle. It produces some gloominess, but its the result of the warm sunny days that are setting in. Yet true to form, we focus on the gloom.
As I get older and get to see more life experiences in the rear view mirror, I can see a parallel between my spiritual life and June Gloom. Often times, I feel consumed by gloom, darkness, uncertainty and fear. In hindsight, I am able to see that many of these stretches precede personal spiritual growth and breakthrough. God is at work in my life. The dry ground is heating up, yet my coastal waters are still cool…and the fog sets in.
I seldom realize that God is at work when its not obvious. Just as the hidden sun is what is ultimately leading to the “gloom”, I’m challenged to contemplate a thought. How much is God’s intimacy in my life leading to the gloom before the sunshine?
