Have you ever heard of the expression, “Get your head out of the clouds?” If someone says something like this to you, they want you to be more “grounded in reality”… focusing less on daydreaming.
Air flight offers us the opportunity to be “in the clouds” and to Cloud Dance… flying through and above the clouds. Being in and above the clouds offers us the opportunity to witness a place where our humanity is not truly visible everyday.
The world of aviation offers a unique experience to be able to see our world in a very different and special way. When I fly, I always reserve a window seat so I can watch the clouds, and the sky. Graciously, my husband always grants me the courtesy of the window seat.
I will admit that some flight opportunities are a bit rougher initially, in what I like to call the process of cloud dancing (turbulence) where the journey into the thick cloud line that permeates the sky is like playing a game of hopscotch at times. You must get above all the clouds in order to see clearly, gaining visibility.
One of the last flight memories that I recall during takeoff, the sky was looming with clouds… gray and dark. Snow and ice was forecasted to arrive later in the afternoon. The sun appeared to be lost. As the final preparations for our flight began, The pilot came over the speaker and said to all flying companions on board, “Folks, this might be a bumpy ride ahead.” Once in flight and our elevation increased, the cloud dancing experience began.
Silence expanded in the main cabin and the motion and movement into the cloud line, and a small amount of turbulence was underway.
Flying into those clouds, it was a total cloud fog. I couldn’t see anything for what it seemed like several minutes. A bit of anxiety rushed through my mind. But, the sure and steady handiwork of our flight crew, we were quickly approaching higher altitudes.
Another quick glance out the window restored my sense of confidence. The plane was now above the clouds and the flight path was visibly clear. The immensely thick cloud layer was visible and comfortably below. I immediately caught the first glimpse of the sun that day and I was stunned momentarily…a revelation was beginning to unfold in that moment of Cloud Dancing.
There it was… shining above that cloud line, it was so bright that I began to instantly squint my eyes with the light bouncing against the white, fluffy cloud line. I was in awe. There was the SUN unseen to me earlier that day because my actual physical location was below the clouds. I was having a moment of wonder and enlightenment after that Cloud Dancing experience. I’ll elaborate a bit.
Low level, stratus clouds create fog. When our heads are “fogged over with the mundane things” we may not have the opportunity to CLOUD DANCE. Once above the cloud line, we can see the light, the SUN.
Once above the cloud line, a clear flight path creates less resistance and the thinner air allows for a higher speed for the aircraft to move forward. The time to reach your destination will literally just “fly” by! My thoughts were racing with this idea of the sun being above the clouds… the metaphor was felt internally. Maybe we need to get above the clouds to find our path(light) and soar.
Which brings me to the mention of Thin Places and connecting to my experience of Cloud Dancing. A dear friend, Sheree Sloop, shared the concept of Thin Places with our retreat group several years ago. A Thin Place is an experience or a place where you feel at peace or have a close connection with God. In Thin Places, the distance between heaven and earth becomes “thinner” with these encounters. These experiences are not usually destinations that you visit… these are personal experiences that are unhurried, unique to the person, where we can catch a glimpse of heaven and beyond. The experience can be transformative and inspiring.
Cloud Dancing was a Thin Place experience for me. The awe and wonder of being above the clouds was breathtakingly peaceful and the message that was delivered from the “holy ground” experience of Cloud Dancing was received.. finding the light above the clouds. He’s the light always. Being in a place where humans rarely tread… in the clouds.
Every Thin Place experience is uniquely different in the eye of the beholder… Cloud Dancing may not be a Thin Place for you. I have flown several times prior and not had this experience before. Why this time?? I believe that I was in a quiet reflective state and receptive to God’s message.
The beauty of Thin Places is the nearness or connection to God is key. Yes, you can find your own Thin Place. It could be a walk in the woods, driving alone in your car, a quiet reflective prayer, finding solace in a communion service, rocking on your front porch, or even simply enjoying a sermon in the church pew… the common factor, the “Holy Ground” experience… the sense of sacredness, and the connection with God.
Sheree shared a mediation with me as I began to work on this piece. She included this meditation in her last labyrinth group walk that she recently facilitated and I’ll share a portion with you today. Thank you Sheree! “as we set an intention for our labyrinth walk, I would like for us to think about the labyrinth as “sacred space” or “holy ground.” The Chartres labyrinth and others from the Middle Ages were often referred to as a “Road to Jerusalem.” When the Crusades and poverty prevented Christians of the Middle Ages from making pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Church officials commissioned the building of labyrinths in seven of the great European cathedrals. Christians could then make a symbolic, spiritual journey by walking a labyrinth. I often think about the places I consider as “Holy Ground”. I remember how it feels when I suddenly find myself in that thin place. For me, the grounds at St. Paul’s are “holy ground.” The labyrinth in Coventry Chapel especially, seems to be a very special thin place and I know I’m walking on holy ground when I enter it. Sometimes I feel it in my chest, sometimes I feel the tingle on my arms or a shiver up my back. I think of all the dear souls who are resting there and wonder just how thin that veil really is.”
If you have ever had a “holy ground” or a Thin Place experience, I hope you can connect to my feelings of Cloud Dancing. The next time someone says, “get your head out of the clouds”, let them know that Cloud Dancing is a way to find light above the clouds, and maybe even much more.
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