If your in Pensacola, you’d probably think we swapped cities with Seattle or somewhere similar with how much fog we’ve had lately.
At first, it bogged me down and stressed me out when I’d have to drive through it. Hardly able to see the cars or horizon in front of me. As with anything we endure for a period of time, I’ve started to find myself getting used to it.
In the literal sense, fog is hard to navigate through. It blurs our vision, lingers in an ominous way, and feels heavy despite its cloud-like essence. Metaphorically, when we find ourselves “in the thick of it”, we battle feelings like overwhelm or confusion about where we are heading.
Despite whether you know the direction you are traveling or not, fog has a way of distracting you from your destination.
Do you know what clears the fog? The sunlight.
Rest assured, as the sun rises, the fog will start to dissipate. Light shines through. Light exposes. Light helps us to see clearly what lies in front of us.
There is a verse in the book of Isaiah I’d heard years ago at a small Bible study I’d gone to for the first time. A friend invited me to their friends house, which ended up being a group of all ages. I remember it comforted me being in a multigenerational room. Together, we sat in a circle and read the same verse over, one at a time.
Y’all, I was nervous. Didn’t know these people, didn’t know the drill with Bible studies, and didn’t know how to even spell Isaiah correctly.
As the reading rounded to me, I fumbled to look natural holding the borrowed Bible on my lap.
My turn, I’d thought. I started reading out loud,
“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.”
Something happened as I read that first line, it was subtle, like a seed being planted. A holy moment before I knew what a holy moment was.
Maybe it was the repetition of the group reading. Maybe it was the new experience.
Maybe it was Gods word doing what his word does.
What I didn’t know then and I do know now, is that Gods word and the love of his son, have the power to clear the metaphorical fog in our life no matter how thick it may be.
Flash forward to a day earlier this week; the fog laid heavy over the bayou I visit most mornings before work. I’d found myself in awe of being “lost” in the fog, while knowing exactly where I was.
There is something to be said for feeling “seen” when you can’t see anything.
A sense of calm and confident washed over me as I peered through the thick cloud above the water. Alas, the sun peeked through, and the small voice inside my mind reminded me: “This too shall pass.”
I’d pulled out my phone to snap a few pictures only to notice the verse of the day was this,
“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.”
Reading the familiar verse carried a new meaning this time around. Though I knew that the sun was going to clear the fog in front of me, I’d not considered how this word from God could clear the fog inside of my mind just the same.
I’d remembered the multigenerational room and how differently God’s word can impact us at every stage of life.
See, God knows what he’s doing now, and he knew what he was doing at the beginning of creation. He knows that we experience foggy seasons in our life, physically and metaphorically.
Whether it is the sun rising or a repeated verse, he promises to lead us through this life. He knows how to guide us, provide for us, and shine his light when we can’t see what’s ahead.
“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.”
Wherever this moment in time finds you, may it be a foggy day in your city or a hazy season in your mind – I hope you feel encouraged by this reminder that the light will rise and shine.
This light will diminish the clouds, the distractions, and will clear the way for you to see.
Do not lose hope my friend, keep seeking the light, it is coming.
Makenna Curtis
Local Pulse Community Writer
Holy Moments
