Finding Your Way When Circumstances Cloud Your Vision

It has been rainy lately here in New York and it reminds me of the first time I came to the city. It was March then and the weather was just beginning to turn. When it is cloudy here, the Manhattan skyline disappears into the clouds. It feels a bit like we are living in a gloomy snow globe.

It is surreal to be in a place where you cannot see the tops of buildings. In some ways, it feels like we are trapped. An ominous sort of feeling. But in other ways it feels strangely romantic. Like we are living in a castle in the clouds.

The thing that is clear is that the clouds limit our vision. It makes it hard to see. Those thin puffs of air stretch and do a surprising amount of blocking the world.

Other Ways to See

There is a lot of this kind of thing in New York. When we get off the subway in a new area, coming to street level can be confusing. And it can be challenging to get one’s bearings.

When we cannot see very far, it is difficult to maintain vision.

In life, circumstances happen that cloud our ability to see. They blind and distract us.

When we talk about vision, we are really talking about mission. The purpose of one’s life. We use a visual metaphor because it is the most effective. But there are other ways to sense our vision. And some circumstances make those alternative ways of sensing and communicating vision necessary.

Alternate Senses

Thankfully, we have been blessed with more sense than just sight. We can perceive our vision by listening for it, sort of like you listen for a river when hiking a trail. Listening for your vision means being able to hear when others are saying something that aligns with who you are and what you are pursuing.

When we face the bad weather of circumstances, listening to the voices we trust are sure ways to find our better paths.

After all, the truth is bigger than any one of us can perceive alone, even in the best of circumstances. We need others to help us because we are really in this together. Nobody is pursuing their own isolated vision. If it is a healthy vision, it is not just compatible with community; it relies on it.

Circumstances are challenging. They move in quickly, just like the weather. They can darken and pelt us, making it difficult to even go outside. But the life we long for is waiting for us, in good weather and bad. If we want to chase it, we can’t wait for things to be easy. We’ve got to find a way to perceive our vision in the worst of circumstances. The best aide is the community we keep.