A new perspective dawned on me on a flight back from visiting friends in Texas—where it was much warmer and sunnier. The colloquial phrase "above the clouds" became real.

As my flight in Texas took off, there was no cloud in the sky, and it was very warm! Well... okay, it wasn't that warm outside, maybe 50 degrees. But it was very hot on the plane because the air conditioning wasn’t on. In fact, every single air vent was closed, and the stewardess asked everyone to open them up because it was so hot! It felt so warm and the sun was shining so vibrantly that I thought I might get a little sunburn through the plane window!

As the flight got closer to Tennessee (truly God's country), the clouds slowly began to populate the view below the plane. They began to cover the landscape so much that for the second half of my flight, all you could see was a sheet of clouds blanketing the ground. It looked like a thick, endless layer of snow.

It seems silly now that I think of it, but the emotion that overcame me was one of resentment. I truly started to get angry at the cloud cover! Mainly because of the contrast between my view above the clouds and what I was sure was the view of those underneath them. You see, from the plane, the view was pure beauty. It looked almost like a meadow or valley covered in snow. But not only that! The sun was piercing the sky, almost personifying joy itself.

This depiction does sound a little dramatic, I know. But the photo I took truly does not capture how stunning it was outside. In a past life, back when I was in college ministry, this moment would have felt almost spiritual. I would have been extremely thankful for the view and in awe of the Creator's design. The most gifted artist couldn't have painted that scene with the same sense of beauty. That’s just how gorgeous it was.

And the contrast of what I imagined was the view from below that cloud cover was one of sadness. There were surely people struggling to even begin their day because of how cold and dark it must have been down there. The thought, "I would hate to be down there right now," came to me, and a sense of empathy for those below the clouds washed over me. I felt pure anger on behalf of my fellow man below the clouds, because they could not see the view above but were trapped under a sad, cold, and depressing sky.

"Why do they have to deal with that?"

"Why is everyone down there having to fight for joy just because the clouds decided to cover up the sun and this beautiful blue sky?"

The uselessness of that cloud cover also made me angry. It wasn’t even raining! The reality of this particular day was that the clouds seemed to serve no other purpose than to block the people below from seeing the beauty of the sun and sky.

And then, it hit me. There are points in life when it feels that way. Things just get in the way of the things that bring us joy and happiness. There have been many seasons in my life where I’ve allowed certain things to keep me from seeing the beauty of a better perspective above the clouds.

These obstacles can be different for everyone. For me this year, a lot of it had to do with what other people think of me. Whether it’s hearing that someone talked about me behind my back, or the devil on my shoulder whispering that the funny look from a friend meant they were mad at me. In short, the thing that clouds my day is often the narcissistic thought that not only are people thinking negatively about me—but that they’re thinking about me at all! I call this state of mind the Michael Scott mindset. And let’s be honest, we all have a little bit of Michael Scott in us. But that mindset is wildly unhealthy.

It’s not always something easy to fix, either. A simple change of perspective cannot solve all types of cloudy days. These emotional cloudy days can also come from good old-fashioned depression—an emotion that doesn’t always make rational sense. But the common thread is that there is something standing between you and joy. There’s some type of blanket keeping you from seeing the view above the clouds. And sadly, during these days, we aren’t always able to rise above them to see what the world looks like from a higher perspective.

And that realization brought me comfort.

However, there is good news. While sometimes we have the power to clear away that emotional cloud cover, other times it’s simply out of our hands. My mother had a phrase she used when my sister and I would accidentally break a bowl or glass or bump into a table, knocking something off. She would say, "Don’t worry, that is not eternal." She meant that these material things wouldn’t last forever, so they weren’t worth stressing over. That message has always stuck with me in multiple ways, and for us, those cloudy days are not eternal either. There is good news—the sun will come out eventually. And lucky for us all, spring is just around the corner!

As I write these words in my office, the blue sky is vibrant. The sun is out. The sky is bright. And even though it’s quite cold outside, the feeling is warm, and this sunflower is soaking it in! The sadness of a few days ago has passed. It is nothing but a memory.

This means that there is hope. If you feel like you’re under cloud cover, unable to see joy—if all hope for happiness seems gone—remember: It’s not eternal. The sun will come out for you again. Just hang in there. Not only that, but remember that there is another perspective to your feelings. You might be able to rise above those problems or issues and gain a new perspective. Get above the clouds. Because from up there, they are just flat-out beautiful.

Your struggles and emotions shape you, adding depth to life's beauty. The story of you, and not only that, but the story of everyone you come in contact with, will come with bumps in the road. But just remember, if you can step back and see the bigger picture, you’ll recognize that your life is great! And more importantly, you’ll recognize that those clouds are moving, and there will come a day when it’s easier to see the bright side. Soon, you’ll have the full picture of the sun.

Clouds move. They are not eternal. And when they clear, the sun will be waiting. So hold on, shift your perspective, and remember—above the clouds, the sky is always blue.