Foggy

 I drove to Denver on Sunday night to hear a friend of mine speak at her church.  I had planned on going to the morning service, but because of the snow that had fallen the night before, I waited and went to the evening service instead.  My friend is author and speaker Sharon Hersh.

Every time I hear her speak or read something that she has written, I come away different.  She is spirit filled and so honest.  I love her.  I'm somewhat of a groupie actually.  Sunday night was no different.  She was awesome.  I was blessed.  

Because it was dark when I drove home, I was unsure of what the conditions of the roads would be like.  It had gotten colder and a little moisture was falling from the sky.  All in all, it was very pretty with the fresh, white snow on the ground and the city lights of downtown Denver (a favorite place of mine) to the east of me.  As I drove further on the interstate, I noticed that the electronic signs that hang over the freeway were flashing a warning.  it said

 "Patchy fog ahead, reduce speed and drive carefully".  

The warning spoke so strongly to me, but not really with regards to the road conditions. I could relate so much because it was a description of how my life feels.  Sometimes the fog that surrounds me makes the road ahead seem treacherous.  Fog that isn't literal, but that rolls  across the horizon of my world in the forms of busyness, worry, self-pity, fear or disappointment.  When I am focused on the fog, I am so distracted and consumed with the things that are clouding my vision and purpose.  When this happens, I get paralyzed and stuck; confused and unproductive.  The other night when I was cruising north on I-25 at 70 MPH, it was imperative that I keep my eyes on the road.  Necessary, really.  When I could see the tail lights of the vehicle in front of me, I followed those; when I could  no longer see their helpful glare, I had to watch the white lines on either side of me.  I was slowed down, but I still had to keep driving.  To be honest, it was a little scary. Yet, if I had been watching the fog instead of the road, it would have been even more scary; I would have surely ended up in trouble.  What a metaphor for my life!   I easily lose my focus and turn my attention and energy to the things that are making it hard for me to see clearly.  I start to panic and over-react.  These are the times when I am ineffective and I know that I am not living the way that God intends for me to.  I was thankful that the fog Sunday night on my drive home was indeed patchy and that it didn't accompany me the entire trip.  Praise my Savior that He doesn't allow the fog in my life to be all consuming.  It is patchy and  causes me to slow down and live more carefully, but it doesn't over take me.  When I choose to follow Him even through the distracting fogs, He will be the One who leads me to my destination. That is what faith is to me.  It is the hand that 

I hold - tightly - to get me home.