FOG

For the last 32 days, the weather has been gloomy and grey due to tule fog—a radiation fog caused by condensation of the moisture in the air as the valley cools at night along with a phenomenon called temperature inversion (warmer at higher elevations and cooler at lower ones.)  The fog never lifts during this weather pattern.  It raises a little higher causing cloudy skies and a fine mist in the air.  During this current long period, the fog only lifted when it was replaced by 4 days of rain.  There has been no wind to blow the fog away, no change in the air pressure, nothing to break up the weather pattern.  The sun has bravely peaked through the clouds on and off, giving brief periods of respite and today it is forecasted to be sunny. But it is mid-morning with no change in sight.

There are things about fog that remind me of Jesus. The density of fog is variable as one drives through it. It can be so thick that you can only see the lights of the car in front of you, then suddenly thins out or totally clears until you drive back into the dense fog.  Being a follower of Jesus is something like that.  There are times when following Him seems so clear, direct and purposeful.  There are also times when I am confused and unsure if I am really following Him because there is a fog between us.  Many times, that fog is of my own making through pride, self-interest, judging others, etc.  But sometimes it is just there for no understandable reason and all I can do is to keep going even when I can’t see.   Most often the fog is somewhere in between.  I can see part of the road ahead, but not very far.  I can only keep going in the same direction until I enter a break in the fog.  I treasure the times when the fog lifts and I see Jesus clearly and fully.  But even in the densest fog, I always know Jesus is with me, somewhere in the mist.