Get past the "fog" this winter

Religious Views, by Delisa Renideo

As we rapidly approach the darkest day of the year, nature again shares her beauty and her lessons. Today is filled with the almost ethereal beauty of a blue sky lit up by the long, low rays of a sun just clearing the mountain tops. The blue of the sky provides a sharp contrast for the white snow on the ground, and the special gift of frosted trees.

The thick layers of frost covering the branches of trees and shrubs gives our already beautiful landscape a fairyland quality. Yet, this frost arrived in a thick shroud of fog. While driving through this fog, I slowed my car as I struggled to see the road and the car lights ahead of me. And while straining to see through the fog, the last thing on my mind was the fairyland being created. It was only when the fog lifted that the stunning beauty was revealed.

How many times in our lives do we feel as if we are moving through a thick fog? We're not sure where we are and where we're going. We strain to see comforting landmarks which reassure us that we are still in safe territory. And sometimes, the fog gets so thick that we panic, slowing to a stop in life until some clarity emerges.

This experience may happen as a result of a major change or loss in life, or sometimes during transitions when our beliefs undergo a major shift. And this fog can come on as suddenly as it does when driving across the flats on the Glenn Highway. One day we are cruising along smoothly and the next day we might receive news about our jobs, our health, our relationships, or world events that suddenly make us question everything in life.

During these times of fog, we aren't aware of the transforming magic taking place in our lives. It is only later that we recognize that this fog brought with it a gift. The gift can take many forms, from a new level of understanding about life, new appreciation for what we have, or renewed faith, to making new commitments to healthy habits, new relationships, or a new vocation. Whether the changes take place primarily inside or whether they are reflected in outer changes as well, the landscape of our lives is always different after the fog lifts. Sometimes the fog lifts quite suddenly, and sometimes it is a slow, gradual process where our lives begin to come into sharper focus over a long period of time.

Although none of us enjoy this time in the fog, we can help ourselves to move through it with less fear and less self-recrimination by remembering that God is the only power in our lives and that ultimately, all things work together for good. We can consciously accept that we are in a time of transition and surrender to it rather than try to fight it. We can talk with a mentor or spiritual leader to help us navigate the terrain of our lives, which suddenly may feel very threatening or unfamiliar. And we can look to nature and recognize that after the fog, our world is more beautiful than before.

My prayer for you this Christmas season is to see the beauty all around you and to know that whenever life feels difficult, it is just creating more beauty within you.

Delisa Renideo is the spiritual leader of Unity Church of the Valley in Wasilla and can be reached at 373-1526.