The Road

This is what driving in NW Iowa has been like for a week now. Sure, at times it clears for a few hours, then its right back the next morning. Fog. I have mixed feelings about fog. Yesterday afternoon as I drove this road, I saw nothing but beauty. The frost on the trees is breathtaking. The road is clearly right in front of me, and I know it well enough that it will stay a straight line in front of me. And I listened to the chatter in the backseat of kids who were building 3 story houses with elevators, guestrooms and bathrooms  all out of a snowbank, I felt safe.I was surrounded in whiteness. Its hard not to feel a closeness to the Holy Spirit at times like that.  Its a comfort to know that even though I cannot see the road for more than a half mile, it is there. It doesn't drop away simply because I can't see it. Our Heavenly Father is the same. I don't always see Him, but I know He is there. His path is always there in front of me too. But I don't always know the road well enough, so I get scared and I pull off or I turn around to stick with the route I know. The safe route. But the road has always been there. It will always lead me home. No matter if I can see where it goes or not. If I can see around the next corner or not, it is still there, carrying me along. My Father is there, carrying me along.

Last night I had the other feeling in the fog. My kids were with me once again. My daughter in the back seat singing "I'm in the Lord's Army" and "Swing Lo, Sweet Chariot" and "Father Abraham"  Jackson was next to me in the front. Chattering on and on and on and on about anything and everything he could think of. And yet, I felt so alone. It was dark. The fog so dense that I couldn't see more than 10' in front of me at times. So dark and murky even that I didn't dig my cell phone out to take another picture like I had done this afternoon, and you need to know, that I was clearly not liking the weather to have not done that. I knew God was still with us. I knew that the next curve would be coming, and I just prayed that He would guide us along the road, even when I couldn't see it.

And as we drove along, I knew we would be approaching the corner notorious for catching people by surprise even on a good day, and had recently claimed the lives of two small children. I dreaded this corner... would I see a car pull out? Would they see me coming?

I knew we were getting closer and I was slowing down, but not too much, so as not to surprise any cars behind me that I couldn't see, and then I crossed the bridge, signaling how close we were.  The fog was gone. I mean gone. GONE. Clear skies and stars were all I could see. I safely turned the corner started once again and within 1 minute was again lost in a tunnel of fog, all alone on the road despite the other drivers being behind me and in front of me. And yet, I didn't feel alone anymore. Because even though I can't see Him, He cleared a path for me, and showed me where to go. Even though it has been covered again, I know He will lead me safely Home, everytime.
God is good all the time!