“At some point, you’ve got to stop watching the clouds. The technical term is nephelococcygia, in case you care. If you have a dream that is gathering dust, you need to seed the clouds with a step of faith.”- Mark Batterson
“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.”- Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NIV)
In Chapter 10 (“Seed the Clouds”) of Double Blessing, Mark Batterson begins with a story of hurricane research spearheaded by an academic odd couple. The partners attempted to modify a hurricane via human intervention. While Irving Langmuir was a Nobel Prize-winning chemist, Vincent Schaefer dropped out of high school. However, Mr. Schaefer possessed a natural knack for DIY projects. So, he requisitioned a GE freezer, and retrofitted it with black velvet. Schaefer tried many substances to seed clouds, but without success.
Finally, one hot July day, Schaefer decided to try dry ice. Viola! When he threw the dry ice into the freezer, the cloud transformed into snow crystals. He’d made the cloud snow!
Therefore, Pastor Batterson asserts, if you watch the wind or look at the clouds, you’ll never be ready. Mark explains:
“Yes, you need to pray like there’s no tomorrow. And you also plan like there is one! God doesn’t bless a lack of planning any more than a lack of praying. That said, the planets will never align perfectly. At some point, you’ve got to quit making excuses. You have to pick up the plow and start seeding the soil. Or in this case, the clouds!”
In conclusion, Pastor Batterson notes our desire to see far into the future. As a result, the author states, we wish the Lord’s Prayer said, “Give us this year our daily bread.”
Why? Because then there would be no need to trust God on a daily basis. And, God loves us so much, He knows that giving us too much of anything short-circuits our daily dependence on Him.
Today’s question: What must you do to stop watching the clouds and start seeding them? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Part the river before we step in”
