Looking to the Light

In looking outside this morning I could hardly see past the deck it was so foggy.  In looking closer, about an hour later, I could see frost on the rooftops of the people's homes below us.  I thought, what a strange combination of having intense fog and frost at the same time.  It later got me to thinking about how complex living is at times.  We try to figure out our course that we desire to take in life, and sometimes we find ourselves standing before a hardship that was not expected.  We think, "There shouldn't be fog and frost together, it doesn't make sense!  The same is true with the problems I am facing right now.  It isn't supposed to be happening to me, this bad thing.  We sometimes conclude, “if nature can't be predictable, why should life be any different for any of us.” Questions began to flood my mind about the unpredictability of life when at that moment, our cat announced to me that it wanted to go outside and find a litter box in our natural state area, to do its thing.  I then looked out and saw our neighbors beautiful flowers that were choosing a strange time to bloom, especially after having such a series of hard frosts as of late.  Then it struck me at that time, perception was the key to how I looked at this unpredictable event in my life.  Thinking back to the fog and frost, I looked at them as being dangerous and another challenge unforeseen, and I began to dread this time of the season.  In going through this process, I had failed to see the flowers that were blooming before my eyes.  They too were unpredictable, just like the fog and frost, but I was looking at the dark side of these events.   I looked around and now I could see the dew that was encompassing the plants and grass before me.  I now see that the increased moisture brought in with the fog, was now replenishing the plants with life giving water.  This in turn brought the beautiful flowers blooming before me.  

Late fall bloom

Life does have its ups and downs and we are sometimes faced with difficulties that only very few have gone through, and we wonder, does anyone understand the darkness that has befallen me right now, does anyone even care?  Sometimes we live in solitude even though we are walking through a crowd.  We see the shadows rather than the sunlight that has revealed the darker places.  

Jesus teaches us to depend on him when these times of our life present themselves to us.  Jesus says in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."  I was looking at the fog as another problem and possible danger to me and my family.  In viewing closer, I noticed that God was providing for the plants around me, and that brought such surprisingly beautiful results from the fog.  

Early morning mist

In seeking Jesus with my concerns, I have found that he never disappoints me and he always gives to me the things in my walk I need to live a full satisfying life.  "Lord, I am weak but you are strong, please be my strength when I cannot see your purpose, open my eyes that I may see life around me.  Help me to see the sunshine and not the shadows in my life.  You are my strength and my song; you bring me joy when I cannot find it with in me.  Like the blind man who desired sight, help me to see with your eyes."

  

God's peace!  Augie