There’s been moments in my life when the way forward was very unclear.
It’s like when you are driving in heavy fog. Have you ever done it? Nothing helps at that moment… and the car headlights are no good. The only way to navigate the road ahead is by going very slow and advancing only as much as you are able to make out.
I remember one time while I was driving through Big Sur down the Pacific Highway when what began as a perfectly sunny day, suddenly turned ugly; and I found myself enveloped in a fog so dense that I couldn’t see more that ten feet ahead of me. It was terrible because I was heading south towards Santa Barbara and therefore driving on the cliff side.
I had to go snail pace because it was terrifying. Other cars were passing me at a speed that I thought was crazy, but I imagined that perhaps they could see what I couldn’t. At least I hoped!
I wasn’t about to risk my neck, so I would just pull over and let them go by. I wasn’t competing after all, and I wasn’t in a hurry either. As the saying goes…“better to arrive late than to never arrive”.
However, I like the metaphor here…
There are times when we are faced with that dilemma in life. And sometimes we even experience brain fog.
What do you do when you just can’t see the way?
Do you allow others to force your hand and press you to ignore your instincts? Do you make risky choices?
Do you feel you must keep up with those drivers behind you that are taunting you to go faster than you can see?
Or…
Do you tread carefully to ensure you don’t make a mistake? Or risk falling off the cliff?
Do you wait for the clarity of thought to come? Do you pull over and wait for the fog to clear?
At the end, it took two hours more than expected to get to the other side…but patience did pay…after all, I’m alive to tell the story.
Perhaps there are times that when you can’t see your way then you must live by faith not by sight.
But most times, the fog will eventually clear and the sun will come out again. It always does. And then you’ll be able to see the path you should take, just as clear as the road ahead.
