Driving in the fog is never fun and at times can be an
adventure. A few days ago as I left for
work early in the morning the fog was especially thick. I’m sure you have heard the old expression,
“the fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife”, well this was one of
those occasions. There were times when I
could not see the front end of my hood as I was driving.
Foggy conditions present challenges to driving and as you
know a person can get into trouble before they know it if they are not paying
attention. As matter of fact you can get
into trouble in a thick, heavy fog even if you are paying attention. The key seems to be to not drive faster than
what you can see and don’t drive into what you can’t see.
Driving in the fog got me to thinking about the need to be
aware of those things right in front of you.
On a normal day as you drive you tend to look down the road a bit and
you try to be aware of what is coming up ahead so you can be ready for it
before it happens. Good drivers will
look from side to side, front and back and they have a constant awareness of
what is going on around them so decisions can be made faster and safer as
changes occur. But when you are driving
in the fog all you have to look at is what is just in front of you. Sometimes you have a few feet of vision and
other times you might have a block or two, but for the most part you have to
concentrate on those things that are just in front or beside you.
In life sometimes we need to have a time for a “fog” type
experience in other areas of our life besides driving the car. Sometimes it is good for you and I to take a
look at the life we have in an up close way.
Taking the time to look closely at the relationships you have in your
life is important to making sure all the truly important aspects of your
relationships are healthy and functioning in a proper way. Too many times we are so distracted by those
things around us that we fail to take care of the most important people in our
lives.
One of the things I notice a lot these days are moms and
dads driving around town with their children in the car with them and mom
and/or dad are on the cell phone talking to someone other than their
children. If I could tell them just one
thing it would be “get off the phone”. Have a “fog” type moment by paying
attention to those things that are nearer and dearer to you. Those children in
your car will only be with you for just a short time, get off the phone and
talk to them. First of all, you have
them trapped. Your children are in a
moving, locked car and you have all the control. You can talk to them about anything you want
and there is nothing they can do about it.
This opportunity does not last forever, so take advantage of it while it
last. Secondly, by staying off the phone
and talking to your children you show them that they are important to you and
you value spending time with them and you enjoy spending time with them as
well. Thirdly, by staying off the phone
you will be paying attention to those things that are truly important and right
in front of you. It will be a “fog”
moment that may just help you have a strong lasting relationship with your
children for a lifetime. Fourth,
remember what goes around comes around.
There will be a time when your child is on the phone and they will
ignore you and guess what… you won’t like it.
For that matter, cell phones may be the central cause of why
so many families are having trouble staying connected these days. Isn’t that ironic? A device built to help us stay in contact is
in part responsible for people being less connected than ever before in
history.
I would encourage you to have “fog” type moments often. Take a closer look at your faith and your
relationship with God. Spend time in
solitude allowing the Holy Spirit to work on those things in your life that are
truly important. In life it is good to
have a “big picture”, but it is also important to spend time looking closely at
those things that are designed to last a lifetime. Faith, Family, and Friendships.
Love God. Go Love
Others.
