10/19/17 – On My Way to Work Today….

I am still caught off guard, shocked, and then the following feeling is amazement as I drive around my new city, Chattanooga.  (TN)

Not only is the mountain scape breathtaking but sometimes the light or shadows from the clouds dappling the scenic view just cause me to take pause. It’s idyllic really.  But today I discovered somewhat different circumstances on my drive in to “work” (meaning the coffee shop randomly selected to be our Thurs. meeting place.)

Today, before even leaving the house my hubby tells me, “The Lake is so neato outside…”

“Neat-o?” I asked,

“Yeah, there’s like a fog, but not really just fog, it’s more like a distinct cloud hanging over the water, but you can see around it.”

“Hmm, okay…” I responded as I continued to gather my personal effects for the day.

As I drove across the Chickamauga Dam I realized how thick the fog really was on the Tennessee River/ Hamilton Bay lake area. As I approached the bridge I felt an intense sense of surprise and a miniature bundle of nerves twinged at the pit of my stomach.  “Whoa.” I expressed out loud. 

I could not see 20 feet in front of me. The dam was completely and utterly shrouded and I had the morbid thought, “a section of this thing could be completely gone, and I would never know…” of course as you drive two feet your field of vision expands for each foot you progress and you come to realize you were never in any real danger at all.

But before I exited the bridge two things occurred to me.

1. Isn’t that exactly how we throw ourselves at this life? We fashion a “safety zone” around ourselves predicated on what around us we CAN see, or foresee. Future, Past, Present. If we can see around our lives we think—“I’m doing okay. I know where I am headed at least.” And sometimes we are right, but other times, the fog settles in and we just keep driving straight because, well, we hope to see any danger in enough advance to counter it. Sometimes we (like I did) foresee dangers that aren’t even there. (Like the bridge being ‘out’) and we allow that fear to steer us a different direction. (Which I did not do.)
2. Isn’t that just like God?

We are driving around thinking we know best, “looking ahead” imagining all possible dangers and detours, and really the truth is, we are in a fog—the fog of our own plans/thoughts/concerns/fears/desires/appetites etc. We just don’t recognize those things as a “fog” at all.

But what if we did? It hit me that—the fog was beautiful. I loved my ride across that dam this morning, because after the bundle of nerves ignited—I just told myself, I’ll just have to keep my eyes on the road and trust God to get me there. And a smile crossed my face—as I realized that’s really the raw truth of it.

Every day. If we can just look past the scariness of the fog we surround ourselves with, the beauty of the fog is revealed, where you can just relax and take in the awesomeness of the scenery, trusting God to get you “there” wherever “there” might be for you.

He’s led many people to places they had never seen, only heard of, and even then maybe not even that….Noah. Abraham. Moses and all of the Israelite people. Joshua, Ruth, David, the Wisemen, John, Jonah, and so many more that I can’t recall with out digging my bible out.  But the point is—their paths were all different, some of them wandered around in their own fog for awhile—but when they chose to trust Him to lead them through—He got them there. He’ll get you there too.

Just give him the chance.

Let’s do this!

—em

Related Blog Post: Divine Appointments: Are We Ready for Them?