Mammatus Clouds + Life Talk

It was Friday morning, I finally decided to try sitting in the front seat after a long time (as in years). I usually sit at the back with the kids because kids are not allowed to stay in front here in Saudi Arabia and there’s a fine that violators have to pay if caught by the police. So I tucked all three of my kids at the back hoping for the youngest one to finish the trip in peace.

We picked up our friend who also stayed at the back with the kids. As we were reaching Gharnatah street, there was this unusual cloud formation.

I’ve captured numerous shots of clouds before, you can check out some of them in these posts: 
Window Seat, Sillhouette, Nearly Winter, City & Country Skies, Philippine Sunrise ,  but never have I seen this type of cloud formation. There were some close to it, but I knew when I saw the grey cottoy or marshmallow-like spread that it was an unusual one.

It turned out that the cloud formation is called mammatus cloud formation. Thanks to my husband’s friend, Tyrone for mentioning it. I searched for it found out that it is a rare cloud formation that usually appears before or after a severe weather condition. (earthsky.org and forbes.com)

These clouds usually contain ice, ice and liquid, or just liquid. It is said to be accompanied by strong wind, usually tornado in the U.S.

Everything looked so awesome, you can watch the video here:

WONDER WITH GIL IN JEDDAH | Mammatus Clouds (November 2, 2018)

There at that moment
I had a glimpse of what it means
to stand in awe and wonder at someone
to look in fear at something and admire its majesty at the same time

The moment was surreal
I was capturing the moment
Not knowing what will happen next
Will it rain? Will something come out of it?
Will lightning break it? Will hail suddenly storm down?

I was a little scared
Yet there I was
Savoring the beauty and realness
of every moment

Not minding the fear in the end
but enjoying the splendor of it all

Life is like that in real life.

Relationships

We make critical choices in life.

Having a relationship for example, marriage specifically.

We marvel at the beauty of the concept of having someone in our lives forever.  Our hearts thug at the thought of finally having a family of our own and yet we have that fear of the big WHAT IF? What if I make a mistake? What if everything goes wrong? What if I don’t know what to do next? What if I don’t live up to what my partner is expecting me to be? Everything is out of FEAR.

Good news. Nobody entered one without it. You are not alone.😁

We can choose to live in fear and entertain all the “what if’s” of life; until it paralyzes us and stops us from making a move or we just put that foot forward and face it; enjoy the moment and embrace its realness as it unfolds in our lives. 🏹

We can’t really do it alone. We are limited. That is why we need God the more to direct us in our paths. =) That is also why we need each other to strengthen and help us. 🤗

Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days,

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Mothering

I remember when I became a first time mom. It wasn’t a blissful experience like what you see in magazines or TV. I was happy, but I was also afraid because I was clueless on how to be a mom.

“How on earth would I raise this tiny being!?”

I was filled with all the possible emotions; mainly, happiness and fear- because it was my first time + I was clueless + I had trauma in holding babies. It was at that moment I had to run to the author of life- the more –about everything. I had no choice, He made us, He surely knows what to do with me and that baby🤷🏻‍♀️. 

The days became busy and until now, I am partly clueless of how to train kids, how to give them what’s best, and that- is okay because it’s one major reason why I have to devote time to seek God everyday for guidance and strength for the entire day.

Life Continues

My youngest son is celebrating his 2nd birthday as of this writing (Nov. 5). Looking back, I’m just really grateful at what God has done in my life. 

His perfect love casts away all fears.-1 John 4:18

When I saw those mammatus clouds above, I was asking myself “how could something so beautiful be so scary at the same time!?” It reminded me of all the situations I’ve just mentioned.

It also reminded me of God.

We often stay away from him
Because we fear that he will punish us
Or that he won’t accept us
Because of what we have done

But HIS GRACE,
The beauty of his character
Once we come to know his love for us
Would leave us in amazement

And though there is this sense of fear because He is God
The abundance of his goodness
Draws us near to him
Until we know him more
And learn to love his ways

Until fear
little by little
disappears
in the vastness of his love

That’s it for an update. That was a long one. I hope you enjoyed reading a long post. 😂 

You can also check my Youtube channel Gilian Isles. It is an extension of my blog posts.=)

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