Are You Stumbling Through Brain Fog?

Sunrise through the fog — “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ESV / The picture was taken by the author.

Dense Fog Alert!

That warning seems to be where my mind stays lately. My shield is up, my feet are planted, and my mind spins like a merry-go-round when change is on the horizon. I’m bracing for the windy gales that change will bring and grasping onto the comfortable. My mind is in a constant battle between the what-if scenarios and knowing that God is working all things for my good.

Change isn’t always bad, although it can be brought on by bad situations. Right now, I’m in a transition phase of life. Major life changes are happening at the moment and will continue over the next year and a half or so.

I have a new career which is aligning with my purpose and God’s calling for my life. My son is preparing to go to college and my daughter will start her senior year of high school in the fall. All good changes, but change, nonetheless. This was not how I had my life planned, but when I said, “yes” to God, he set my path before me. I will follow Him, even if His plan doesn’t make sense to me.

Mind

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a foggy mind is a state of confusion or bewilderment. This is where I am at with my walk with God. I am confused.

Have you ever been there?

A couple of weeks ago the rain finally stopped and I was able to go for a stroll around the property at my new job. As I stepped out the doors the fog was as thick as a fuzzy blanket and my mind as clouded as the fog around me. During my walk, I talked to God and tried to slow the merry-go-round of thoughts down.

The more I talked to God my thoughts became cohesive and I realized why I was struggling.

After spending two weeks learning more about God and how to interact with other cultures God revealed a little bit more of his plan to me. The problem with this is, up until that moment, I was pretty sure He told me I was going to be doing something else.

This left me trying to figure out how this new revelation and the old plan were going to work together. Or maybe it wasn’t going to work together, and I would have to let go of what I thought His plan was for me.

The pieces of my life puzzle aren’t fitting together like I thought they would.

Even with my mind spinning, and my emotions reeling I knew I could trust that God was working all things for my good. This gave me a sense of peace and for a moment it slowed the merry-go-round down.

In the Dessert

As my day continued, I thought about my stroll through the fog. After church that evening the fog had settled back in. The fog was so thick I couldn’t see past our parking lot.

While I was chatting with a friend, I was taking in the scene around us. The fog surrounded us, and we could see what was in front of us. However, when I looked at each light pole that was at the edge of the parking lot the lights at the top of the pole were only visible. This view of the fog was different from the fog I experienced earlier that morning.

I remembered the Israelites and their journey in the desert. God protected the Israelites with a pillar of cloud, also known as Shekinah glory, by day and the pillar of fire by night. In my mind, I picture a thick fog surrounding the Israelites. The purpose was protection. According to Willmington, “It (the pillar of cloud) then settled down upon Pharaoh’s armies like a fog but gave light to God’s people.”

The scene I described above about the church parking lot is the closest we will experience to the Shekinah glory.

Revelation

I shared my thoughts with my friend and God gently reminded me that although I can’t see what the future holds, he is revealing to me what is right in front of me, and I can trust him.

We may be in a fog, but Jesus is still there. While we walk through the fog, objects in the distance are hard to see, but the closer we get to the objects they become clearer.

This image shows a cross in the distance surrounded by fog. — Foggy Cross Photograph taken by author

Our relationship with Jesus is the same way. He may seem distant but the more time we spend with Him, the closer we get to Him. When Jesus becomes our focus His purpose and plan for our lives become clear.

The plan He has for us may not be the plan we thought. We need to trust God to lead us and not lean on our own understanding. We need to remember His ways are higher than our ways.

When we stop focusing on Him and attempt to direct our own paths we will be confused.

When you find yourself in a fog: