I Can’t See

Sometimes the weather is foggy, and driving through pea soup for an unknown number of miles puts me on pins and needles. My shoulders tense and I squint my eyes as if that could help me to pierce through the dense, dark cloud.  

Being the defensive driver that I am though, I do two things when the gray, murky mist envelopes my car. 

First, I flip the switch that turns my fog lights on. Fog lights do not necessarily increase the distance that I can see in front of me, but they do increase the chances that oncoming traffic will see me.  

Secondly, I slow down. Though I can’t wait to get out of the dark, moist cloud of vapor, so as to see clearly and give release to the tension I’ve built up in my body, going too fast only endangers me as well as other drivers. 

Though weather forecasters can predict rain, snow and sunny weather, forecasting fog is much more difficult. 

There are too many variables for a meteorologist to make any predictions with. Complex atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, wind speed and stability of air are some of the factors of fog. Fog also depends on the geography of an area. Hills, valleys and lakes produce their own micro climates. While fog may encase a bridge over a lake, the farther away from the lake one drives, the less fog the driver experiences.

Because of the atmospheric complexities and geography of an area, fog is its own micro scale of nature that is subject to change rather quickly.  

 We Won’t See Clearly Until

Have you ever attempted to understand someone? Have you ever been blindsided by a falling out with a family member? If so, you have experienced the human condition of relationships. They are messy. 

I’d like to understand things such as, Why Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, as one author puts it, why schisms occur in family’s, and why some people are harder to get along with than others.

  Sometimes though, when it comes to relating with others, I walk through fog. My shoulders hunch up around my ears and I squint my eyes hoping to see more clearly. I can’t wait for the atmosphere to clear, for the sun to shine bright once again.  

Consequently, while waiting I do three things. First I trust steadily on God, the only one who is the blessed controller of all things. Secondly, I hope unswervingly in God because with him, nothing is impossible. Lastly, I ask God to show me, “How can I love this person extravagantly?”

Why Bother?

Why bother mentioning the fog? Fog is unpredictable, but when we find ourselves in the midst of reduced visibility, we can remember that we won’t completely understand it all until the One who is complete arrives. In the meantime though, we can trust, hope and love.