FOG - Following Our God

About a month ago, after attending our niece's birthday party out of town, we experienced a trip home that I'd rather forget. It was late, and Wayne was exhausted, so I volunteered to drive home. Little did I know what I was in for . . .

When we left my sister's town to go home (about a one-and-a-half hour drive), we didn't realize that there was THICK fog starting in the great outdoors. At first I thought it was just in town and perhaps surrounding it by a couple of miles. But as we kept driving, the fog got worse.

My brother and his wife left in their vehicle first, followed by my parents, and then us. Initially we were about 5 minutes behind my parents, but due to the poor driving conditions, I eventually "caught up" to my parents with my dad in the driver's seat.

The fog was so dense that all I had to rely on for guidance were the taillights on my parents' car. Essentially, I was relying on my dad to get me home safely.

Along the way there was one idiot driver who decided that we were "too slow" for him, so he passed me first, and then my dad. With the thickness of the fog, it was a pretty risky thing to do. The visibility was close to zero, and this guy was passing us! This also occurred on a road which I consider to be a "paved grid." There are no shoulders, just two narrow lanes for traffic to drive on!

Eventually I had to break free from the comfort of having my dad "in the lead", since my parents live in a different town from us. But I was grateful for the help my dad provided me with in order to safely reach my destination. We all arrived home safely, even though the entire experience was nail-biting and nerve-wracking (for me - Wayne was sleeping through most of this!!!).

Upon reflecting on this entire driving experience, it got me thinking about how this FOG-filled drive home is similar to my relationship with God.

Firstly, I must rely on God to direct me. Just like I was relying on my dad and the taillights on his car, I need God to be my "car" and "taillights." Without His guidance and direction in my life, I'm not sure where I'd be. I actually don't even want to think about how horrible my life would be without the ability to rely on God!!

Secondly, "idiot drivers" can get in my way of being able to see God's direction. I consider these "idiots" to be distractions that cause me to stop seeking God. Some examples for me are my family, my responsibilities as a wife and mother, hobbies, t.v., the computer, friends. . . whatever. Everyone has their own personal list of distractions that keep them from having a close relationship with their Heavenly Father. And I'm not saying that these things/people aren't important. They are. But they shouldn't be at the very top of my list of priorities. God should. Once those "idiots" are removed, or at least lowered on my list of priorities, it makes life a whole lot better. Unfortunately for me, these "idiots" are too frequently getting in my way of having a closer relationship with God. But since we moved to the acreage, I've been trying to re-prioritize things in my life by putting God at the top of my list in everything I do. Easier said than done.

Thirdly, I must realize that without God in the lead, life will be more of a challenge. Decisions are harder to make. Stress causes more havoc on my body. The future seems more unclear. Sin creeps in and tries to take over my life. God wants to lead me. He wants to direct my life. He is the "car ahead of me" so-to-speak.

We are all on a journey. And God is always there to guide and direct us, if we allow Him to.