In the Dark and Through the Fog

by Vickie G. Paver

Recently, my husband and I traveled to South Carolina to see his mother. As we were coming out of North Carolina we traveled through a place called Mt. Airy. It was dark as we started up the mountain.  The fog was so thick we could only see a few feet in front of us! We were the lead car in a string of several cars. We could tell this by the several sets of headlights behind us. I felt nervous. I knew that we could do nothing else except go on. Once a driver of one of the cars decided we were going too slow and tried to pass. They quickly pulled back in behind us as they realized we were lighting the way. As we went further on, I asked my husband, "Are we still going up?" He said he didn't know. Finally, I saw a sign that showed we were going up a 7% upgrade. So now we knew we were still going up the mountain. At this time I was also thanking God that we had the middle yellow line and white lines on either side to keep us from going off course! As time passed we saw the 7% downgrade sign. Yes, we were headed down the mountain. At last, on the bottom side of the mountain, the fog lifted, and we were relieved that we could once again see where we were going. Even though it was still dark, the path was lighted with headlights, city lights and rest stop lights. We were at least out of the fog. Many cars passed us as the drivers felt free to travel on their own. They no longer needed us lighting their way.

Our travels through Mt. Airy, North Carolina, "in the dark and through the fog," reminds me of how life can be sometimes. There are times when it seems like certain parts of our life are spent going through a fog. It may be that we got news of a family member dying from a rare disease, or perhaps we are fighting depression. Other times, it could be a deep hurt caused by others; being a caregiver for an ill spouse or child.  Maybe we've lost someone through death.  These can all be times of living "in the dark and through the fog." But there is hope! If we know Christ as our Savior, He can keep us on course by sending other people into our lives. They show us the way by being shining lights, directing us to the signs that let us know that God is still there and we are still on the road. They may do this through encouragement, a kind word, prayer, or directing us to God's word. Better still, we can be a shining light for others and keep them from crashing off the mountain. We can show love, compassion, and understanding.  We can be used by God to help others keep their bearing, others that are traveling "in the dark and through the fog." And, like those cars that passed us after we were out of the fog, the people we help will be able to travel on without us lighting the way for them. They will become more confident and see more clearly.

I John 3:16 & 18: vs. 16 "By this we know love, because He laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Vs. 18, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." (NKJV)