Tonight while
driving home from work, there was a bit of fog.
The closer I got to my destination the more dense the fog became. I was able to see just enough to navigate the
dark roads with the help of my headlights and fog lights. Outside their range however, there
could have been a purple giraffe and I wouldn't have been able to see it.
Eventually as I got
closer to a more populated area there were more traffic lights, then street
lamps, and eventually more traffic. The
more sources of light, the better my visibility. The fog was still there, but the lights helped
to cut through it.
I arrived at the
grocery store, ran a few errands and then continued my journey home. The further from the shopping center I got,
the number of lights lessened again for a time.
I had a few thoughts
and made some observations during this last stretch of my drive.
First, as much as I
love fog (and all other inclement weather for that matter) it is very
unsettling. I think it plays with your
mind a little bit. Your normal senses
are altered to some degree. While your
vision is greatly decreased beyond what you know it would typically be, other
senses seem to be heightened. It is
natural I think to feel anxiety about what lies ahead of you in the haze. Is there something in the road that I won't
be able to see in time? Do I know where
I am?
My second
observation was that, as vital and as wonderful as my headlights were, they
could only help me to see so much. The
more lights that surrounded me, the less anxiety I had. I could see further, and I knew exactly where
I was.
So here is where I
take this drive home and my wandering thoughts and apply it back to my
life trying to be like all those really cool people who find gems like this all the time.
I don't know about
you but I have no idea what lies ahead of me in this life. I don't even have a decent 5 year plan - not
that those work out anyway. I have no
idea what tomorrow could really bring for me.
Sure, I have some goals, I have dreams and hopes but I REALLY don't know
what is coming down the tracks. My line
of sight is blurred at best. For most of
my life I have driven the road alone relying solely on my own ever dimming
lights. It's not that there weren't
other ways I could have traveled that would have been better lit, but they
weren't the paths I took. I figured that
was the way I was meant to travel.
It
wasn't until the last few years that I began to find more lights along my path. Some of them were new, others had been there
all along but just out of my sight - Those, I should have been able to see sooner but I was limiting how much I could see. The point
is- Had I made it this far on my own, relying on my own light? To some degree, Yes. (Was I as alone as I thought, no, but that is a different post for a later time.) I
am alive. I am a fairly responsible
person and I like to believe that I am a decent, loving person. However do I have less anxiety as I navigate my path ow lit by others? Absolutely.
I think that several
points can be drawn from this.
-Sometimes we travel
by just a few lights. We may mostly be
relying on our own light. How important
is it in those moments that our light be as strong as it can possibly be? The last thing you want is to have it die
while you are alone and lost in the haze.
-How much easier is
it when you allow additional light in - when you travel in well lit areas? Spending time with others who's light shines
bright and strong, can only help and strengthen you.
I may not know what
lies ahead. I do know however, that I
need to watch my own light source. I
need to keep it as strong as possible. I
need to learn to rely on it, to rely on myself and trust in my own
strength. There may be moments along the
way where I will need to be ready to light my own path. Even better, I can hopefully help light
another's path as I know I am blessed to have others around me who help show me
the way. They are there if I turn to
them. They won't let me down. They love me and want to help me. If my own light is dimming, I can trust that
they will be there as I struggle to find my way again.
I know there is one light that will always shine far brighter than the rest. It's the light that will be there no matter what as long as I allow it. It is the light of Christ. Ultimately it's the light I see shining through all the others along my path and the light that I hope shines from me as well. His light has the power to cut through the most dense fog and the darkest night. Both things I have experienced more than I'd like, but I'm learning it is okay because light always wins.... eventually.
The fog doesn't have
to be intimidating. Like me, you can
find it to be awe inspiring. Especially if there is plenty of light around you.
Thanks for letting me ramble.
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