Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A Blog About Fog

We live on the gentle slope of a hill that overlooks a valley and across to what the local, prairie-born folks call a mountain. It's just a small valley--maybe two miles across--with a road running along the bottom. The school bus comes along this road and I can see from my kitchen window when the bus is about five minutes away and can send the kids out at just the right time. For most of the last month we've had ice fog every day. It creates a beautiful diamond-encrusted landscape that sparkles when the sun burns away the mist. Many mornings we have been able to see this fog settled into the valley below us and it's impossible for me to see the bus coming until it's almost up the hill and to our house. I keep thinking about that bus driver down there in the fog...

She has no idea when the fog will end. She doesn't know for sure that when she turns the corner a breakthrough is just a half a mile away. It's thick--so thick we can't see the strobe light flashing on top of the bus. And yet, not far away, the sun is shining gloriously.

Fog is like that. Disorienting. Confusing. Discouraging. Endless. Unless we have a reference point outside of the fog.

"Fog" in our lives takes many different forms and lasts for different lengths of time. We're all facing different challenges. We have different prayers for which we earnestly desire an answer. For every one there's a promise in God's Word. That's the reference point to which we must cling. It takes faith to hold onto that promise. Faith is hard for us. We want answers and we want them now. But faith pleases God--not because He wants to see us suffer, but rather because He wants us to be at peace while He is at work.
"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for will happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave His approval to people in days of old because of their faith." Hebrews 11:1-2
Hebrews 11 is a litany of faith in everyday people who faced challenges and believed what God said about that challenge. It's easy to think that they were somehow special and not like us, but a careful reading of their life stories quickly reveals that they were every bit as human as we are and some of them really messed up big time! Yet, they made it to this roll call of Faith Heroes and they were called those who "pleased God". Why? Because they believed the promise even when they couldn't see evidence of it's fulfillment. This isn't the same thing at all as the "power of positive thinking" because the Power rests entirely in the One in whom we believe!

It's easy to think that we don't have enough faith for the challenge we're facing. Jesus said that even faith as small as a mustard seed is enough. Hebrews 11:34 tells us of these heroes that, "Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight." It's in the process of believing and then receiving that our faith grows stronger.

One of the best ways to strengthen and demonstrate our faith is to worship and praise God while we wait for Him to do what He promised. Praise has been known to tear down prison walls! (Acts: 16:25-26)

I pray that you will be encouraged and reminded of God's promises. His plans for you are good. (Jeremiah 28:11)

"God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary." Hebrews 6:18-19

3 comments:

  1. Michelle, I'm so glad you're doing this...it inspires me cause my dream is to have a website with my photography and encouraging blogs! Love to you and the family... DK

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  2. Your posts are very encouraging...thanks. :)

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  3. Thank you for your thoughts- insightful and always encouraging!
    Blessings...Kim

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