My Walks with Remi

Getting Through the Fog

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Have you ever felt like not taking a walk? Were you too busy or too tired? Was it too cold or rainy or dark? That’s how I felt one foggy morning. I looked outside and the thick, morning fog just hung on. It prevented the sun from drying the droplets of mist in the air and from removing the blanket of clouds to reveal the lush scenery below. As I looked towards the bathroom window, I noticed the beauty of the orchid blooming there before me; the backdrop of the fog behind it. It seemed another flower had come out overnight and a new shoot had sprung out as well. I was stunned by its growth. My lack of gardening skills surely couldn’t have nurtured such loveliness. I must have placed the orchid in just the perfect place to get the right amount of sun and warmth. I only water the orchid once a week; it seems nature does the rest. That morning my spirits were lifted by the colorful beauty of the flower that overlaid the grey fog beyond the window.

Sometimes, I have found God sends us a glimpse of hope when we are in a fog. It may take many forms: an encouraging word, a visit from a friend, the love of our family, the beauty of nature, a child’s laughter, a song, the affection of a pet, a hug, happy memories of the past, recollections of how God’s faithfulness brought you through hard times … a beautiful orchid. These meaningful signs of God’s love and care give us the courage we need to get through the fog.

Your fog might take on varying degrees of thickness - perhaps you’re just having a bad day, or maybe you are facing serious life challenges, or dealing with a deep hurt or loss. Fog tends to diminish our view and perspective. It’s hard to judge distance, and the roads we knew so well in the light now look so different we can become disoriented. When we want to see farther, past our distresses, it’s as if we’ve turned on the high beam lights and caused the visibility to worsen. We have all experienced fog in our lives - things that distort our perspective, cloud our judgment, change the direction of our life, or lead us away from our goals. When we focus too much on our troubles and seek to see far out past them, it’s like shining the bright lights on them, wanting to know how it all turns out, but obscuring our vision as we strain to see our way through the miles before us. In order to get where we’re going, we need to slow down, turn off the high beams, and take it turn by turn.

God wants to help us through the fog in our life. He wants us to trust him to guide us forward, mile by mile, helping us navigate the immediate twists and turns in the road along the way. He wants to reorient us and give us confidence that we are on the right road, helping us reach our final destination. Just like the role I played in placing the orchid in the right spot to grow, we must do our part in positioning ourselves close enough to God so that he is able to care for us when we find ourselves on a foggy journey. When we allow God's son, Jesus, to shine through the fog in our life, it will be lifted, our path will be made clearer, a colorful life will return, the clarity of our vision will be restored, and we will find our way Home.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for sitting beside me as I drive through the fog in my life. Help me trust you to show me the way when I feel lost and confused. And if the fog is so thick I can no longer see, let me give you the wheel so that you will bring me safely through. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Reflection: Do you feel like you are living in a fog? Be encouraged that the fog will not last forever. What signs of hope has God given you to cling to until the fog lifts? In what ways could you be a ray of hope for someone who is experiencing a fog in his or her life today? Try to make time each day to read the Bible and pray so that you are in the perfect spot for God to be able to nourish, guide, and help you grow.