Fog
I love fog. Being out in the fog is such a great experience. You feel like you have left the world behind. It is quiet; the sounds of the world are muted and seem far away. You cannot see the horizon. Sometimes you can barely see what is close. The world takes on a layered look, simplified from what we usually see.
I think that perhaps one reason why I like fog is that it forces you to simplify how you see the world. Sometimes the world is so filled with stuff, things you should do, things you shouldn’t do, crazy things in the news, lots of things fighting for our attention. And often that distracts us from what is important, including our connection with God. I know it can do that to me.
Fog reminds me to keep it simple. Let the world go for a moment. It will be okay. God is in control, and I can enjoy a fog that takes away my ability to see everything. In our busy world, we often think we have to see and know everything that is going on, that maybe this will give us some control over the world. Yet ultimately, we have no control over the world. And in a fog, you really know that. You can only trust that the world is okay in God’s hands, and of course, it is. A fog confines my vision and forces me to just be with me and with God. It even helps me see how sacred even ordinary places are, such as this field in front of fog-shrouded trees. Sometimes it takes the simplifying aspects of a fog to help see the light.
“…He makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.” Jeremiah 10:13
Rob