“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It was a foggy morning today. As I put in my morning miles, I knew the road I was on well, so I wasn’t fearful of being lost, but fog has a way of taking away the far off details and only giving clarity to what is immediately in front of us. Sometimes in life we need that kind of clarity. Sometimes seeing the whole picture, the what ifs, all the possible scenarios can only give us anxiousness and fear. Sometimes we need reminders to focus on what we have been given today and give today our best.

Lately it just seems that there is an increasing abundance of anxiousness and fear in our world. And we can fall into a trap of being drawn into media saturation in an effort to get clarity, answers, and confirmation of our opinion. But you know sometimes that can be like trying to see the farm field beyond the tree in the picture. We can strain our eyes seeking clarity of what’s ahead, and get frustrated that we can’t. Maybe that is the Holy Spirit telling us to just give today our very best in word, thought, and deed to the glory of God. For God will be there tomorrow beckoning us forward once again.

It comes down to trust. We may not be able to see the whole picture, maybe today we aren’t supposed to. Today God gives us a path and enough light for the next step. So let’s take it a step at a time today. Let’s breathe, slow down, and see what is all around us. Let’s stay committed to the path that leads us to Jesus Christ and his love. The Holy Spirit will guide us through this foggy day.

PRAYER: Gracious God, it’s a foggy day. It’s a beautiful day. It’s a chance to serve you and serve our brothers and sisters in love. Today helps us to slow down just a bit. Help us to breathe and rejoice in where we are. Thank you for your guidance even when we can’t see the whole road. We know you are there! Amen.

Ken Waclo is the Pastor at Bellamy United Methodist Church in Gloucester, Va.