FOG

I hate driving in fog. The limited visibility brings out the worse in me. This has been an issue with me for decades now. And then, I moved to Florida. I have found that, particularly in winter, the mornings can be quite foggy here. This morning it was exactly that!

Working in ministry I tend to use my commute time to pray and prepare myself for what the day may have in store. Not wanting the fog to deter me from that goal I began to contemplate what God might be wanting to tell me this morning, through the fog.

Here are the things I learned:

1. While God has already been in my tomorrows, I have not. As I travel this path with Him, I am not given the entire picture. I don't know how my story ends, or even what tomorrow (or this afternoon) will bring. But I can be confident in this: NOTHING SURPRISES GOD! He lights my path as far as He wants me to see.
2. As I drove, there were times when the visibility was better. Sometimes I could see half a mile down the road and then other times I could only see a few hundred feet. When the visibility is worse, SLOW DOWN! Life is like this. Sometimes when we are in the depth of despair or going through a rough patch, we want to hurry the process. But that could be dangerous in the long run. Occasionally, God is trying to teach us through those difficulties, something He knows we won't learn when things are calm. Look for Him and you will find Him.
3. Because the visibility is bad behind me and in front of me, I didn't see the car behind me until he was right on my tail. I was doing the speed limit but that wasn't fast enough for him. I had a choice, allow his bad behavior to push me to do something dangerous or stay the course. I worried he would try to pass me and there would be a head on collision because you couldn't see the oncoming traffic until it was too late. But his behavior was not something I could control. I know if I went faster, it would never be fast enough for him. I prayed and asked God to take care of the situation. I had to trust that God had my back. He did. The car turned on to another road and was no longer behind me. STAY THE COURSE! Don't be influenced by the bad behaviors of others.
4. As I looked in my rear view mirror I was reminded of the many times I counseled with individuals who made mistakes in their past and had serious regrets. I can relate to them, but I had to learn that I can't change the past. And if I spend too much time looking at the past, I don't see much of a future. Driving in the fog, it was easy to see if I focused too long on the rear view mirror, it would be easy to miss something right in front of me. An animal, a stalled car, there might some danger I could have avoided had I focused on what is in front of me instead of what was behind me. Sometimes it is dangerous to live in the past. It may not be easy, you might need help to refocus on the future, but it is a goal worth pursuing. Focusing on what is in front of us allows us to avoid future problems AND allows us to see the blessings that are there to enjoy. The rear view mirror has a purpose, as does our past. We learn from it, we grow as result, our past can help steer us to a better future. But we need to only give it so much of our time, attention and energy. This lesson from the fog, has much more to unpack yet. My past no longer "owns" me, I own it. I determine its value. I set its boundaries.
5. Each moment is a gift. This morning's fog could have set a tone to ruin my entire day had I let it. But seeking to see God in it, made it a very special time. Yes, even a foggy ride in to work can be a blessing.

The fog has lifted, the sky is a beautiful blue now. In fact, I think it is much prettier because of the way the day started. Had it been a normal, clear morning, I doubt I would value the beauty of the sun and sky as it is now. I'm quite sure I would just be taking it for granted. I'll let you draw your own lesson from this ending comment.