This Too Will Lift

I know for most of us, the stress related to travel, whether it’s a day trip, a short trip, or a long trip, is often the process of getting ready. And if you’re anything like me, the emotional aspect related to all can be the worse part of getting ready. These days, with all the map services, creating a route can be fast and simple. We get all ready that needs to be ready, pack up the car, van, or truck, make sure the kids are in the car, along with their needed distractions and keeping busy things, and hit the road. We drive, loosen up, become content, and drive.

This morning, as I was doing the car pool duties of being a child transport technician, I entered a very dark and thick patch of fog, making visibility about 1-2 car lengths ahead of me. The darkening affect of the fog appeared unnoticed by my passengers as they continued to prepare for an upcoming quiz or attempted to complete a Rubik’s cube. Funny how children often don’t become caught up in the fog of life, just automatically flipping on a light. Suddenly, as quick as I entered my darkness, I drove into bright sunlight from the early arising sun, giving clarity and light to my vision, leaving the fog behind, soon to become a distant memory.

It dawned on me; life is so much like this, driving into a dark mass of fog, limiting your vision, clouding up what you once could see so clearly. The fog of life can convince us that our marriage is bad, that our children are lost, that our world is falling apart around us, and that God has left us alone in our own misery, pain, depressing emotions, and anxiety. The fog of life seeps so deeply into our brains, so deeply into our sense of right and wrong, good and bad, that we forget the very life we are blessed with in the fog. We become convinced that the fog has become our reality, becoming engulfed in helplessness, and a deep sense of hopelessness.

I encourage you, my reader and friend, to remember that the preparation for the journey, the fog we encounter in life, is just that, nothing more. I encourage you to remember that it is the journey, walking alongside of our God, embracing the love of those life brings, which is life. The journey is so much more that the occasional fog and I encourage you, my friend and reader, to practice daily gratefulness to remind you that fog lifts as God’s Son arises in our lives. We must walk in the fog, not allowing ourselves to get stuck in its darkness, understanding it is part of our growth, and always embracing the life light of our God and Savior, even when we don’t feel like it. As Nike says, “Just Do It”.


(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)