I opened the blinds this morning, and the fog was thick. The deck that sat out my back door was about twelve feet; I could barely see the ending.
There was no sighting of the beautiful pond that frequented many ducks and geese.
As I stood there twisting the blinds open, witnessing the stunning calm the fog was bringing. A pause in my day was happening, so I allowed myself to be filled with the calm it brought.
The longer I stood there; I started recalling how fog had brought me fear and caused my anxiety to rise. The image of not being able to see what was in front of me prompted it.
We all have faced fog before driving down the road. You know, the fog that sets in right at ground level, so thick we can only see the front end of our vehicle. Our vision is not clear, so we slow down. Acknowledging the danger we put ourselves in if we stop moving forward. We keep the car moving, knowing we have to get to a destination.
This morning after opening the blinds and finding the presence of the fog, I sat in my chair…his chair, drinking my coffee and wondering when the fog would lift. Knowing it wouldn’t be there forever.
As I sat staring at the beautiful Christmas lights twinkling on the tree in front of me, I could see the fog slowly drifting further and further up. The pond came into full view. By the time I was done having my morning coffee, it had completely lifted. The sky was still overcast, and although it seemed lighter, there was a heaviness that lingered.
The definition of fog states a thick cloud which obscures or restricts visibility. Something that confuses a situation or someone’s thought processes.
Grief produces this “fog” within us. Our heartache and devastation with the loss we are feeling combined with daily decisions is the perfect formula for that thick, dense wall of fog to make a home in our minds.
Traveling through our days not knowing what is in front of us. Pondering if the fog will ever lift or if we will live forever wandering through life, not being able to see a clear path.
Gradually we keep moving forward. Understanding the danger that comes if we stop moving forward in our life. Depending a lot of the time on help from the Lord and our support team.
As the days go by, the fog starts to lift a bit. Honestly, it can take years to even see ten feet in front of us.
Although there are moments when we are not supposed to know what lies ahead. The Lord stands firm, for He knows the path that we need to be on. He never wants us to walk in doubt or fear. He never wants us to walk forever, not knowing, not seeing the path ahead of us. It is He who walks with us, clearing the uncertainty we are walking through.
One day the fog will completely lift, and you will be able to see a clear vision of the path in front of you. You will feel the clarity that comes from the lifted fog.
There are times we need to sit in the fog. There’s a calm in our “fog” if we allow ourselves to find it and let it fill us. Learning what the unknown may bring us.
So, this morning, as I looked at the fog, I saw its beauty. Although fog causes me anxiety, just knowing it wasn’t there forever brought me peace.
Find the beauty in your fog.
Many days may be filled with it, and you will experience it lifting and settling back in. Days, months, or even years apart. There may also be a heaviness that is left for us to experience. Just hold onto, knowing that your fog will lift one day as well, and peace will fill you.
Love and Blessings
About Jacki Corta
Jacki Corta is a motivational speaker, intuitive life, and grief coach along with the founder and CEO of Strength > Struggle™. The brand she discovered after traveling the journey of cancer with her husband. She started the Strength>Struggle™ crusade, helping others find their inner strength during some of the scariest times. In 2014, her husband, Douglas was diagnosed with Glioblastoma brain cancer and 20 months later passed away, giving Jacki a new title… Widow. It is Jacki’s mission to share her story with the world and how it can positively impact others in whatever they may face. It is a story of unexplainable strength in life’s most challenging storms, overcoming adversity and finding hope while traveling the difficult path her life took.
It is her ability to communicate and willingness to be vulnerable that connects with her clients and audiences. Jacki believes her purpose here is to impact as many souls as possible showing them that through even the darkest days there is a glimpse of light to grab onto for them to find their strength. Jacki will empower, challenge, and give you a new outlook on your own story.
She is a mother of three adult girls and a Mimi to two beautiful granddaughters. You can follow more of her story and inspiration on Instagram @jackicorta or listen to her podcast Jacki Has a Voice on Spotify.