So the mist was rising this morning.  The rising of the sun seemed to beckon the mist upwards from the ground, lifting the cloudy mist little by little to rise above the tops of the trees.  In a little bit of time, the mist will disappear into the sky and the view will be clear. There will be no signs of the mist that so enveloped the trees by the stream this morning.  No signs of it whatsoever.

Some days, there will be mist, clouds that settle into our lives.  We will have things that cloud our vision, impact our ability to see things clearly, and surround us with a presence that makes our steps less certain.  In the world, we will definitely have mist. But, the appearance of mist doesn’t changes what lies underneath the mist.  The presence of the mist is temporary.  The appearance of the mist changes things or our perception of things, but what’s there is still what’s there…even when we can’t see it.

So here’s the thing. Life can be tough.  Really, really tough. Troubles and uncertainties can come like the morning mist and settle in our lives and change our view of everything.  And unlike the fast rising mist, often these struggles last more than just a short morning.  They can last days, weeks, months, and even years.  Even though what remains underneath the mist is the same, our perception of reality, of what’s true, of what’s present can change when the mist moves in. The trees are still there…just tough to see them as they are.  That’s why it’s so important to go by what we know and not by what we see, what we feel.  Perception changes. Feelings fluctuate. Truth stays steady. Some things in life don’t change and we can hold on to them at times when our world looks different, when we’re facing things that make our view of what we thought we knew look a lot different.

So what are things that stay the same always?  I love the verse that says  “‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you. ” Isaiah 54:10  God’s love doesn’t change.  It doesn’t fail.  It stays steady.  God’s Word stands firm. It doesn’t change.  God’s promises stay the same. My world?  It’s a world of mountains moved and hills disappearing…it’s always changing.  But solid ground faith that sees with clarity through the mist, through the changes life brings, is trusting God to be True, steady, reliant. It is trusting that God truly is the same, yesterday, and forever.

Come mist, come clear blue skies, some things are always the same.  And knowing that?  Knowing that can help me see the “mist” for what it is.  It helps me see the temporary struggles as just that…temporary.  Even when they feel a bit eternal. And one more thing about mist…it makes us focus our sight a bit more.  We need to strain to see what’s there. Driving through a mist makes me slow down, squint a bit, and focus.  Sometimes, faith is easy.  Sometimes, it takes lots of effort and tenacity and squinting to see God in the midst of difficulties.  But He’s there…through the mist somewhere.  Might just take a deliberate tenacious pursuit of seeing His Hand.

We hope for blue skies in our lives.  But oh, how much more we appreciate them after  clouds lift or a mist rises.  So here’s to enjoying the blue and seeing through the mist, and in the midst of the mist…seeing the beauty in it all.  Just a few thoughts on morning mist.

Blessings ~

Heather