Foggy Mountain Discovery

While traveling through Pennsylvania last fall we crossed over a foggy mountain into a huge storm. I probably should have pulled over, but fear of being rear-ended kept me going. Just ahead of us the tail lights of an 18 wheeler became our guide. With steering wheel gripped tightly my concentration remained fixed on those lights until we had finally reached our destination. Even as I relive that moment through writing, I let out a sigh of relief.

Fog can be scary. It can be as equally scary when facing a foggy personal uncertainty not addressed for us in Scripture – job, mate, school, weekend plans, which medical procedure, timing. Two opposite end approaches seek to bring clear objectivity to this fogginess.

The first says that the will of God is found exclusively in the Bible, and as long as you are living in obedience make any choice you desire. It’s a good start but seems to remove God’s supernatural outworking in the specifics. The second says God speaks in various ways to give crystal clear direction. I like the idea but I also fear my humanness – a humanness that can be confused, can mix in my own wishes or even be mis-led. I’m not quite comfortable with either. For me there seems to be a middle ground.

Recently I have discovered the benefit of fog. Because of the fog, the uncertainty I begin a jourey of seeking the face of God – lingering, enjoying, acknowledging, worshiping, wrestling, listening, surrendering, returning. In the end it increases our intimacy together and gives me an opportunity to walk by faith. And those benefits are more valuable than storehouses of gold.

I have further discovered that in the foggy times as I seek God, He gives little hints of leading (never contradictory to Scripture of course) - a circumstance, a prompting, a small decision, godly counsel, a specific Scripture, something remembered, an impression, a chance encounter. Seldom does the end view come into sight immediately, but instead it’s a one step at a time journey that eventually leads to the destination.

Sometimes we will miss or misunderstand these gentle hints. That’s okay. We’re all human enough to make a mistake, and He is gracious enough to redirect….multiple times. We so want direction to be in a straight clear path that saves face when outsiders think we are making a mistake. Life doesn’t work that way, neither does the integration of the spiritual life. Both can be messy. Thankfully we have a God who understands the messiness, the mountains of fogginess and our need to discover Him in the process.

Above: Maria and Christina meet Rachel Black at the Dare 2 Share conference. Rachel and her husband Zane are also on staff at Timberline Lodge.

Top: Daniel snowboarding in CO

Middle: Girls snowboarding at Winter Place, WV