Walking in the Fog

“We live by faith, not by sight.”
-II Corinthians 5:7-8, NIV

Last night the fog rolled in. To many, that might not be significant. But to me, it is. I live in Colorado.

As a child, I remember the rare days of fog and how it reminded me of being back at my grandmother’s in Pennsylvania, where fog is not uncommon. Those misty mornings when the green, rolling hills seemed to disappear and the world was cloaked in mystery; when the sounds of every-day life was muffled in distinction--like the hushing of a room in the presence of dignitary; when anonymity of the seen was something to be embraced and not feared, like a journey into the great unknown.

I delighted in the fog then. I delight it in now.

There is something about fog that is comforting as well as fearsome. On one hand there is beauty in how you can almost reach out and grab it. How it encircles you with its mystical presence and spins you around, daring you to embrace its arms and accept its dance. Almost teasing you--challenging you--to walk forward and test its boundaries. On the other hand there is uncertainty behind its veil. It disguises the seen and requires that you keep your light aimed toward the ground so you do not run off course.

It is not much different than our walk with God.

Often God gives us clear vision. The day is bright, the path is well lit. The sun is at our back and warms us as we walk. Then there are times when God brings the storm. Those are the times when we need to stand still and wait upon Him. Wait until the tempest passes. Wait until we hear His voice. And in between, there’s the fog. It encircles and encompasses like a shroud--a mask--concealing what is in front of us and requiring that we walk, slowly, in faith, as we hold God’s hand.

So today, as I gaze out my window and marvel at the beauty of God’s fog--reflecting on its significance--I will remember that, during these times when the path is not quite as clear as I’d like it to be, when the quiet is too quiet, when the beauty is as equally startling as the formidable, that by keeping my eye on the Lord, my feet will never fail, and the path which I’ve trod will always lead me back into His arms.