Pinky LaNuée was a shy little cloud. She only came out very early in the morning, just before sunrise.

Pinky was different from the other clouds. The other clouds soared and sailed, billowed and puffed. They especially enjoyed making big thundering noises, flashing lightning and pouring down rain. But Pinky preferred to spend her time quietly making herself into different shapes. Sometimes she looked like a pink balloon, or a pink lollipop. Sometimes she shaped herself like a pink rose, a piglet, or even a pink flamingo (which wasn't easy at all!). So while the other clouds soared and billowed, she stayed by herself and practiced her shapes.

Pinky's mom and dad-clouds were a little worried about her. She didn't seem to have any friends. "What will Pinky do when she grows up to be a big cloud?" they wondered. Her parent-clouds encouraged Pinky to go and play with the other clouds, but Pinky never wanted to. Pinky's parent-clouds often prayed to the Lord and asked Him what they should do about Pinky. As they continued to pray, a gentle, warm feeling of peace crept into their hearts. They realized the Lord was telling them that He had something very special prepared for Pinky -- so they let her play quietly as she liked.

As time went on, the clouds began to notice the funny little creatures with two arms and two legs down on the ground below them. Sometimes these little creatures (especially the small ones) would look up, point at a cloud and say things like, "Look, Mommy, look, Daddy, that cloud looks like a doggy!" The clouds realized that these little thingumabobs liked to look at clouds with interesting shapes.

One day an especially sharp-eyed and excitable cloud noticed a sign way down below which said: "Cloud Shape Contest Tomorrow". He chattered this news to all the other clouds. Soon all the clouds were practicing making shapes. Big blue clouds stretched out like big blue whales. Round white clouds fluffed out like woolly sheep. Some clouds made faces; some made animals; some lined up together to look like fish scales.

Pinky heard about the contest, but she didn't want to go. She was too shy. Also, she only came out early in the morning, and the contest started too late in the day. Pinky's parent-clouds did their best to change Pinky's mind, but Pinky was too afraid.

All the next day, the contest went on. The clouds made different shapes like fish, ducks, rabbits, and so on, while the little people looked up, pointed, and laughed. Everyone was having a wonderful time.

Finally, at the very end of the contest, just as the sun was setting, Pinky came out for just a moment. She tried to make her most beautiful flamingo shape, but she was too nervous to make it very well. Most people didn't even notice her -- only one little boy pointed and yelled, "Hey neato! Look at that pink flamingo!" But by the time others looked, they couldn't see it, because just then the sun set.

Pinky was very embarrassed and ashamed. Making shapes was what she did best -- and she hadn't been able even to make a shape that people could make out. So Pinky went and hid herself. But one very kind cloud searched long and hard for her, found her and said: "Pinky, all the other clouds should thank YOU. You started making shapes before any of the others did. If it weren't for you, they wouldn't even know how to make shapes." This made Pinky feel a little better.

One night, after Pinky had thinned herself out high up in the sky to rest, a strange, bright cloud came up to her, and called her by name: "Pinky!"

Pinky was surprised, and said: "Here I am--but who are you?"

"I'm the cloud of the Lord's presence", replied the cloud. "The Lord has been watching you, and He is very pleased with you."

"But how could He be pleased with me?" said Pinky. "I'm too shy. I'm different from the other clouds. When I had my big chance during the contest, I blew it."

"I know that", said the Lord through the cloud. "It was I who put the desire in your heart to make beautiful shapes. Even if no one else sees you, even if no other clouds care, I see you and I care. Your beautiful shapes make me very happy, because they praise Me."

Early next morning, Pinky gathered herself together, and came down closer to earth to make shapes in the light of the rising sun. She wasn't sure whether the cloud of the Lord's presence had been a dream or not, but her heart was bursting with joy. She danced and frolicked in the light of the sun, without even noticing that far below a solitary little girl was watching her.

A short time later, the cloud of the Lord's presence came to Pinky by night, just he had before. "Pinky", the Lord called to her through the cloud. "Here I am, Lord", said Pinky.

"Tonight, you are to come with Me. I want you to stay with Me until I come back down to earth. I have chosen you to announce My presence when I return to the earth; for I have promised that when I return, I will come in the clouds with glory."

How do you think this made Pinky feel? How would you feel?

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Now there's a little more to the story which you should know. Do you remember the little boy who caught a glimpse of Pinky’s flamingo shape at the contest? Well, during that moment he saw Pinky, his heart was filled with joy because of how beautiful she was. The boy never forgot, and later on wrote a song about his feelings. Here are some of  the words to the song:

    The heavens declare the glory of God,
    The skies proclaim the wonder of His work,
    Day by day they speak, night by night they show knowledge,
    Though having  neither  voice nor language,
    They stretch out over all the earth,
    Their words travel to the ends of the world.

 When the boy grew up, he sang the song to thousands of people.  They  loved to hear it, and asked him to sing again and again.   Later on, long after the boy grew old and died, the song was printed in a very famous book of poems, and billions of people read the poem in  the book.  Some laughed, some cried, some danced.  Others were inspired by the poem to write their own music and poems. And this all came from that moment when the boy saw Pinky's lovely flamingo!

Do you remember also the little girl who saw Pinky early in the morning? As she watched Pinky, her breath was taken away at the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. At that moment, a prayer was born in her heart: “O Father in heaven, how mysterious and glorious nature is! I want to spend my life to understand and appreciate the wonderful things You have made.” That prayer stayed with her for the rest of her life. She became a scientist, and discovered many interesting things which were useful too, and helped people lead better lives.