Clouds

About twenty years ago I was driving back from taking a friend to the airport. It was a sort of rainy, cloudy day, but as I drove home I remember seeing the sun rising behind the clouds in a beautiful display of creation. Just a day or so prior, my Dad had also left on an out-of-state trip and I remember feeling pretty down about people leaving, even if for short periods of time. It struck me that, even in sadness, just as in a cloudy day, beauty can be found; and this beauty is even more glorious, as the clouds create a contrast that accents the sunlight, just as despairing times are when we grow the most and become more dependent on God, seeing His goodness in fuller ways. 

And so, being the songwriter I am, I went home and wrote "Clouds."

"Clouds" Have you ever seen the moonlight in the morning When all the while you are mourning Because a loved one has gone away? And did you notice how the moon behind the clouds is shining Around the darkness, there's a lining And you can almost see the rays piercing through? Clouds make the skyline beautiful When the light is still shining right beside you Our souls become more colorful When our problems aren't as big as our God Have you ever seen in the same sky the colors brighten And you can tell that the sun is rising Even though a loved one has gone away? And did you notice how the clouds paint the picture Like they know how much you miss her Even though they're stopping the rays from piercing through? Clouds make the skyline beautiful When the light is still shining right beside you Our souls become more colorful When our problems aren't as big as our God

Clouds make the skyline beautiful When the wonder that I see shows He's looking out for me Our souls become more colorful When our problems aren't as big as our God

Well, just last weekend I had a similar thing happen: a good friend I've known for about fifteen years just moved out of Los Angeles. Simultaneously, I gave an airport ride to a friend I've known even longer (over twenty five years!) and his family, who had been staying with us. It had been a great week of catching up, for which I'm so grateful, which always makes parting bittersweet. Then, on the way home, it started to rain (a rarity in Los Angeles, as you may know), but behind those clouds I could see the sun rising and it brought me back to twenty years prior, writing "Clouds" while I was in college.

I took this little video to commemorate the moment:

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A post shared by Rick Bickerstaff III (@yonderbreaksmusic)

It is fun to see these life lessons pop up in relevant ways so many years later. Having these songs to mark the moments just makes it that much more meaningful.

"Clouds (Meyer Lane Mix)" is available on the Sunrise at Sunset EP, released late last year. It's a version my friend Alex Barker and I did back in 2015, but something I never released (though I have performed the song several times). It's an honest, relevant and (in my opinion) catchy song, and so I wanted to share it, even in demo form. I hope you take a listen and that it helps you think of God's goodness on your next cloudy sunrise!