When the Fog Rolls In
We were back on the road early in the morning heading home after a weekend away. Just as we started the incline up Cajon Pass, we could see fog rolling in. Before we knew it, we were in a blanket of fog that gave us about 20’ feet of visibility. Sweat poured from my brow and palms. I frequently wiped the beads of anxiety from my face and dried my hands on my jeans. Pulling over would have made common sense, but we couldn’t see the side of the road and we knew other cars wouldn’t be able to see us either. I pulled my seatback upright and scooted closer to the wheel, gripping it tighter in the ten and two hand position. Now on full alert, I paid close attention to the road and prayed that the person driving behind me was doing the same.
This was a bonding moment my mother-in-law and I had that will last the rest of our lives. My little girls were in the back seat, not even realizing the potential danger at hand. As we drove through the fog we had no idea where we were on I15. We couldn’t see signs, off ramps or on ramps, we were driving blind. In what seemed like only twenty minutes the fog lifted, my shoulders dropped; we started to take full breaths again. We could see clear skies only to discover we were now at the top of Mountain Pass. We were astonished when we realized that we drove through the fog for two and half hours and traveled one hundred and fifty miles.
Underneath clear skies, we roared with laughter in the face of our fears. We looked at each other with delight and confusion. How in the world did we go that far and how did that much time pass? It was surreal. I have traveled back and forth from Las Vegas to California many times and I’ve never again experienced that kind of fog. It baffles us to this day. It was a day in time that just didn’t make sense. Yet, it created a bond in us that no one can disrupt. My mother-in-law was in a position where she was forced to trust me. I was in a position that I desperately needed her companionship and encouragement. That situation brought peace to our relationship from that day until now. It united our hearts which gave us a spirit of love and continual forgiveness over many years.
Have you ever had a blanket of fog roll into your life that left you with little visibility? Have you ever experienced a degree of fear that caused you to long for a closer connection to God? What circumstances have you endured that made you question your faith or caused you to search His Word like looking for a lamp on the path? Psalm 119:105. Have you ever longed for Jesus’ guidance, instruction, companionship and protection that you gripped your faith like never before? Those moments in my life come and go like the rhythm of ocean waves rolling in and out; each time it happens, I gain a deeper understanding of the kind of peace that’s found when I trust God. Jesus engraves His love so deeply on my heart that it equips me with more trust for the next cycle of faith growing waves. If this is you too, we are not alone.
I believe Mary Magdalene experienced this too in John 20 when she went to the tomb after Jesus’ crucifixion. As she stood there crying and weeping I can only imagine the fog she must have felt she was in. It must have been so surreal. She still hadn’t recovered from the graphic brutal crucifixion she witnessed days before. Seeing Jesus stripped down and whipped could have felt like she herself were stripped down and whipped too, because she loved him so much. How could Jesus, her Savior, the one whom she loved and trusted, be gone? Mary trusted Jesus with her life, her new life and her life of sin and then she trusted him with her redemption.
What would that be like if God were tangible for us today and then suddenly disappeared after being flogged and crucified? Would you be able to keep your eyes on the road if you couldn’t see the road signs; if you couldn’t pull off to the side and wait it out? What if the fog rolled in and everything you put your faith in seemed to vanish before your eyes?
Would your faith be strong enough to endure that kind of fog? She was so overwhelmed with a blanket of grief she didn’t even recognize Jesus who was standing with her. Oh, that moment! The moment the fog lifts and reassurance is restored! I think I can feel colossal relief with her. The blinding hopeless circumstances were wiped away all at once and she was reunited with love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal 5:22-23. Oh that moment.
Once the rest of the disciples discovered that Jesus had been resurrected they gathered together and Jesus spoke a profound message to them that would sustain Mary Magdalene, the disciples, you and I for the rest of our time on this earth.
John 20:21-23 (NIV) Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus is with us always. Whether it is foggy or clear skies, he was with us before the crucifixion, during the crucifixion and even today through his Holy Spirit. When the waves, fog and doubt roll in and out of our lives we can experience Peace by gripping our belief and trusting God for another faith growing wave!
Sheri Page has been married to her husband for 10 years and cherishes their blended family of 6 adult children and 9 grandchildren. She has worked in and alongside ministries for over 30 years. She has served many roles with in the walls of a church including, a Women’s Ministry director and assistant to a Care Pastor where she served people who were walking through Baptism, Celebrate Recovery, Divorce Care and benevolence. Sheri loves to share her curiosity and unique understanding of life with Jesus by her side. She is a 5 year breast cancer survivor and considers that experience to be the one of the greatest gifts God has given her. More writings from Sheri can be found on her blog: https://thelordsdwellingplace.com/