I’ve lived where I am for 20 years this July. It’s a prairie between a busy corridor, low-range foothills, and a huge mountain 35 crow miles to the east.
Supposedly, the little town has an ancient word that describes my world. Yelm means “the mist that rises from the prairie.” Mist? In today’s world, it’s fog. Thick. Pea Soup Thick! Cut it with a knife and serve it on a plate! You can get lost in the dark, stumble around, and be nearly ready to call 911! That’s even before you leave the driveway!
Add to that mist a cold air cycle, and you get iced-up windows that refreeze before you’re done cleaning them off.
Do you know how long it takes a diesel engine to warm up on a cold morning? A long time! That means it takes a while for the windows to stay ice-free.
But that’s not what I’m thinking about this morning. I drove in the soup to get in line for maintenance work on my truck. It’s easy not to know where you are when the fog clouds up your visual clues. Even though you’ve driven these roads a thousand times, you still struggle with a lack of familiarity.
Scary to know how much you depend on clues to know where you are!
Then, a frozen door you couldn’t open suddenly pops open, and the inside cabin lights pop on! A lot of popping! Scary for the briefest of moments. What’s going on?
Oncoming headlights blind you because some don’t know their light status! Scary when you can’t see clearly!
Auto-Pilot, Self-Driving, Anyone?
That’s when you think about relinquishing the control you’ve always enjoyed and letting the truck drive itself.
But wait. I’ve driven in worse weather but still knew where I was—blowing storms, blizzard snow, icy roads, a whiteout, or even a dust storm! This morning it was a harder struggle because it was pitch black. That made the visual cues even more invisible. You drive by the “fog line,” and even that’s a struggle to see.
What about life? When it gets tough, do the tough get going, or do you find out how tough you are?
That’s my thought this morning. We all face challenges that are more easily overcome when conditions are different or succumb when the weight of darkness clouds our judgment.
We learn that autopilot doesn’t work when the road becomes scary. You must pay close attention. A self-driving car works… how…? Will you trust it when the times are tough?
Keep In Control
Now I know. This is when I want to regain complete control and depend upon my skills with several million miles behind me! Technology and computers will fail…I just had my front brakes updated, they were close to failing… Headlights go out, wipers stop working, and suddenly you are out of control. You. No by the fog, but by your limitations and issues.
Could we be like Jesus on the cross? “Into thy hands…I commend my Spirit…” Why? My God never fails and nothing ever surprises him! Nothing! Never! If I’m relinquishing anything to anyone, it will be Him.