In the Midst of the Mist.
As I began my walk the sun was desperately trying to come out but was no match for the fog that had begun to roll in. When I walked around the lake, the steam which was rising from the warm water surrendered to the thick fog until it had all but disappeared behind a thick veil of white. I could no longer see but a few feet in front of me. The speed at which the fog rolled in was unnerving. I slowed my pace and kept my eyes on the path directly in front of my feet to insure I would stay on course and not trip over uneven sidewalks. I had no choice but to continue as the fog’s mist was cold and crisp and I was not dressed for this sudden change in weather.
As I carefully walked ahead I realized that this morning’s fog was a metaphor for certain times in my life.
When my husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 31 and then lost his job six months later, the fog of fear, of losing him, being unable to make the mortgage, feed our 11 month old baby clouded my heart until I could not see where God would lead us let alone that he would. But with each continued step through the fog, He did indeed walk us through the mist and into the sun once again. When my mother was losing her ten year battle with cancer and I was struggling with depression, the fog rolled in again. The depression clutched my heart and forced me to my knees until I worried that I would not be the good mother my mom had been to me. Though I was suffering, God had placed people who would help me and lead me closer to Him. When my daughter’s eating disorder reduced her to 90 pounds and consumed her thoughts 24 hours a day; I knew that we were all in a fight to eliminate the fog that had once again enveloped us and threatened to obliterate her and us as a family. The “Food Fog” would envelope us for almost 12 years before she was free of the white destructive veil that had taken possession of her thoughts, time and actions. By this time, His word had become my shield and rampart (Psalm 91:4). I walked through the mist assured that while we were suffering as a family: He who had begun a good work in us would see us to the end (Philippians 1:6). Each of these “fog events” were painful but were also when we grew as individuals and as a family bonding closer to God and to one another with lessons that only He could have taught.
Problems come into our lives, often without much notice and when they envelop us we are unable to see the future. Fear can grip us so that we cannot see where we came from or where we are going. Do we stay in the midst of the mist or do we take each step and continue on our journey? Do we rely solely on ourselves or do we reach out and if so, to whom? The choice is ours to make. I believe God has placed earthly angels along our path and that He is ever present on our walk whether it is a sunny day or one filled with fog.
It is my prayer that with each new morning, we choose to walk with God, to believe in faith what is unseen, to persevere in slow and steady steps, one foot in front of the other. That we continue in faith knowing that the fog will eventually lift and we will have clear skies once again.
When did you experience a fog in your life and how did you overcome it?