By Donna Benson
My husband and I are long haul truckers and write in my down time. In our recent travels, we’ve encountered fog in many areas around the country. It’s not pleasant to drive through this heavy mist, because it obscures your vision. We can’t see the scenery or traffic ahead. Year after year, many are hurt in auto or truck accidents because they can’t see far enough ahead to see the dangers. So I slow down, turn on the fog lights, and pray.
As I thought about the fog, I realized many walk around in a spiritual fog. They run through life at full speed oblivious to anything going on around them. Their vision is not clear, they can’t see ahead. Many times they never see road blocks ahead in time to stop. They drive over or around them, or make quick changes in direction causing someone else to crash. There may be times our quick maneuvers work out, but more often than not, it causes a crash in their life. I admit I’ve been in the fog many times, rushing along without a care in the world or only seeing a small distance, only to come to a screeching halt. I simply can’t see well enough to understand what’s truly happening.
I believe God puts fog, road blocks, or closed doors in our path to get our attention when we’re headed the wrong direction. When I’ve reached a closed door or road block, I’ve had two very different reactions. In my younger years, anger or frustration topped the list. My usual question, ‘Why is this happening, Lord?’
This can be true in our writing as well. Everything flows. The words come quick and easy. Then all the sudden, we can’t seem to get anything to come together. The scenes don’t work and the characters are flat.
As I’ve grown older, (both in years and spiritual growth) I’ve come to understand God places fog, road blocks or closed doors for my good. They help me slow down, take notice, step back and look at the whole picture. This allows me to avoid pain, suffering, stupid decisions, or consequences I wouldn’t like. More importantly, if gives me a new perspective about my story and the message God wants me to include in it.
God’s love is greater than we’ll ever know. He wants great things in our life…great stories. He wants joy and happiness to be the norm not the rare exception for each of us. Accepting the road blocks is part of accepting God’s love. It’s acknowledging He knows what’s best for us…for our writing, better than we know ourselves. If we’ll follow His lead, guidance, and direction, we can rise above the fog. There we can live and write in the sunshine.
Donna Benson drives with her co-driver/husband in an 18 wheel truck by day and writes in her spare time. She lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of northwestern Montana. She invites you to visit her at http://fleetothemountains.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/SanctuaryRanchSeries?ref=hl.