One of the conditions that hunters must face this time of year is the fog. Sometimes it lingers seemingly all day, making it difficult to see especially when hunting with firearms. And then there’s the drive to the hunt. Just seeing each turn can sometimes be almost impossible without some type of marker. This is the case at one of my hunting locations. Over the years I have marked a particular turn by a light. While driving down the road this light creates an illusion that it is in the middle of the road. If there’s no fog, I can see it for at least a mile away. I simply drive to it and then make the turn. It makes everything easy. When there’s a thick fog, this makes it more difficult because now I have to be close to it before I see it. And I have passed it up a few times. The key is slowing down, locating the light, and heading in the right direction.
Sometimes my life seems like I’m living in a fog. Rarely do my directions seem clear and knowing which way to go is difficult to discern. The problem is just like my attempt in hunting, I sometimes forget to slow down and locate the markers that give me the help I need. I instead complain about uncertainty or God’s lack of communication and continue to barrel down the road without adjusting for this fog that I’m now in. The truth is when these conditions show up in my life, I cannot continue to travel as I have been. I must make the necessary adjustments in order that I don’t miss the turn I need to take. The light that marks my way is still there. He is as sure and stable as any marker we might have in our life. But sometimes we must approach slowly, linger longer, and move toward our change of direction with a greater focus on the turn.
Are you living in a fog right now? Have you uttered complaints about the seeming lack of God’s guidance? Are you getting ready to make a move even though you are unsure about the direction? Maybe you need to slow down. The light is still there, but in the fog you’ll have to draw a little closer before you see it. But when you do, you’ll discover this was precisely the reason for the fog – not to hide his will, but to bring you nearer to the one who gives it.
Gary Miller
gary@outdoortruths.org