Earth Born Clouds

I ran across the phrase, "earth born clouds" in John Keble's classic book of poetry, The Christian Year, based on The Book of Common Prayer.

Keble, a 19th Century Anglican, was trying to connect his church liturgy with common language of the heart.

Here's the phrase I read that captured me:

Sun of my soul, Thou Savior, dear.
It is not night if Thou be near.
Oh! May no earth born clouds arise
to hide thee from thy servant's eyes.

I've been pondering -- what are the earth born clouds that keep us from seeing Jesus? What is the hazy mist that obscures our vision?

Here are six --

1. compartmentalization (segregating the sacred from the common)
2. inordinate affection (loving the things of earth too much)
3. discouragement (a spirit of heaviness)
4. negativity (unbelief disguised as wisdom)
5. anxiety (F.E.A.R. -- False Evidence Appearing Real)
6. turmoil (relational snags)

I have experienced all of the above as earth born clouds at one time or another.

The good news -- beyond the clouds, the sun is shining!
---------------
Encore! Another of Keble's bits:

The trivial round, the common task
would furnish all we need to ask;
room to deny ourselves, a road
to bring us, daily, nearer God.