It was one of the darkest mornings I can remember. To add to the complications, the earth was weighed down with a heavy and thick fog. This makes for difficult maneuvering. As I went out for my morning exercise, it made for an interesting adventure. I know my road better than the back of my hand. I have run this road so many times I couldn’t possibly begin to count. But in the dark fog, it was challenging to tell where I was on the route. Thankfully I know markers, even places in the road that gives me clues. And it isn’t as if I could get lost. Even I can stay on a straight road. But the miles were quite deceiving when vision was nearly eliminated. It was dark and foggy enough that someone stopped me to ask me what road he was on and how to get to where he was going. I live in the country so this never happens before 6 am on a morning run. This just gives an idea of the deception of the dark film on the earth.
When it is this dark and vision is compromised, we have no choice but to focus on what is right in front of us. We can’t worry about what is up ahead – we can’t see it. We can’t look back and see where we have been. It does no good to look around. Stopping won’t help because then we are just stuck where we stopped with no progress being made. Our only choice is to move forward, focused on the path right before us. No worrying about anything else, head down and focused is the only option.
We may find ourselves in the thick darkness today. We may find that we have no idea what is ahead and can’t even focus on what is behind. All we know is what is right in front of us. We trust that God will light the way – if it is just for a few inches. We believe that those things ahead are good even when we can’t see them. We move forward because it is what we do. But we do not move forward alone. If you remember my writing about running in the fog and a friend always being with me – it still applies (Blog entitled “The Runner”). We do not face this alone. We don’t have to know what is to come. We don’t need to worry what is behind. We just press forward…one inch at a time. Crawl if you must – just move. We will not get stuck in the dark fog today.
Focus Scripture:
Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 