What you can hear in the fog
I awokein the night to intermittent horn blasts while staying on the coast for a shortwriting retreat. What were they? My mind rifled through possibilities. Wereships making the sounds or were the British invading again as they did back in1815 ? Early in the morning I went to check it out by car and as soon as I crossed thecauseway to the beach, I realized the issue. I found myself in dense fog which must have set those horns blaring.
But what was the source of the sounds? I’ve since read in the localpaper they originated from a couple of dredges working in the shipping channel.The article cited rule thirty-five of the International Navigation rules whichI investigated. To paraphrase it says vessels standing still in the water whenin limited visibility are required by law to sound blasts at not more than two-minuteintervals.
Later, I hopped on my bike and headed toward the beach. Folks sittingin beach chairs could see each other but not the water and my visibility wasjust enough to stop my bike if something were in front of me.
The fog was with us off and on for days and so were the horns trying tohelp those huge cargo ships coming through the channel avoid collisions. As Istood at the pier one morning, I couldn’t see it, but engines churned as a giant vessel made its way throughthe channel, courtesy of the horns and navigation technologies.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “We don’t yet see thingsclearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist” (I Corinthians 13:12The Message).
We’ve all experienced times in life when we can’t see our hands infront of us and have no idea what could happen next. For us, it feels like acollision could be imminent. But God is present in the fog of circumstance and faithfulto be with us to guide us, sounding the warning like the fog horns, helping usknow in limited visibility how to avoid a crash.
And sometimes, with everything else cloaked in mist and distractions minimized, that is when we can hear most clearly the voice of the Lord.
In a recent sermon, my pastor husband pointed out that in ourdifficulties, God has set limits just as he did with Job when he allowed theenemy to test him. The foggy time will not last forever, so let’s continue totrust and listen to the Lord.
Prayers for you, friends, who may find yourself in the fog. God isclose.
As Valentines Day approaches, an author colleague is hosting fourteen other authors (including me) in a giveaway. The details are on her site and will go live on February 1. On that date, click on the image below to www.SuzieWaltner.com. I hope you win!!
