My brother, my husband and I recently took a drive to Cabela’s for an evening shopping trip. On the way, we were talking about fog for some reason and my brother said, “Fog is just a cloud that didn’t have the courage to go any higher.” I laughed and my husband sarcastically commented on how deeply philosophical that statement was. My brother was joking, but it has come to my mind a couple of times since then as I’ve been reflecting on it and I think there’s something to it. Of course, water particles in the air do not literally have the ability to possess character traits such as courage, but go with me on this as I apply it to humans, which most certainly do have such capability.
We can choose to be a part of the fog or one of the clouds, and it takes courage to rise above the natural inclination to just settle and remain where it’s safer and more comfortable. But we are called to rise up and be clouds! Jesus says to Jairus in Mark 5:36, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Perhaps we should take that as a message for us, too. The Lord can breathe life into even the deadest of situations. Think about the differences between clouds and fog for a moment…
Clouds are visible from farther away; they have a greater range of impact. They offer shade and relief on hot days. They provide us with refreshing rain which enables life to continue and flourish. Clouds are all different shapes, beautiful, shifting, changing as they move. Clouds are one of the main reasons why sunsets can be so beautiful – the sunlight reflects off of their water suspended in the sky in a particular way based on where they are positioned, their density, and such. We can enjoy the sunsets; and the clouds are able to be a part of such beauty, of something so much greater than just themselves.
We can be like clouds in these ways! And I believe we are called to be. We are called to use our God-given gifts to bring the glory right back to Him, to uplift others, to encourage growth and life on this earth. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to “encourage one another and build one another up” and Hebrews 10:24 asks us to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”
Like clouds, we are called to be free, moving whichever way the Lord may set for us. Galatians 5:13-14 reminds us “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” John 8:36 states it succinctly, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
In Exodus 13:21-22, we are told that God Himself in a pillar of cloud guided His people through the wilderness by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. The Lord used a cloud to provide continual direction for His people. Likewise, we can choose to guide others, to assuredly point them to their Father who loves them so deeply and dearly.
Also like clouds, we can be a part of something so much greater than ourselves. We are called to be a part of the body of Christ, His Church, the way a single cloud can be part of a gorgeous sunset. If the Lord were likened to the sun, we would be the clouds by which He is reflected and magnified so that others can revel and wonder in His love and beauty as it is projected far and wide. Ephesians 4:15-16 reads, “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
On the flipside, consider fog. Fog is stifling, stagnant, confusing. Not only does fog “not have the courage” to be something greater, as my brother would say; it distorts the view for others. It can cause chaos and immobility and, quite frankly, be problematic and downright dangerous for many. Fog just hangs around, eventually coming to nothing. All it does is add to negativity, murkiness. We are not called to be like that. We are specifically commanded not to become a stumbling block for others as they make their way toward Christ. We are told in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” And Romans 16:17-19 admonishes us, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” Human fog could be described as those who just muddy up the waters, cause quarrels for the sake of boosting their own egos or putting someone else down, who detract from the simplicity of the gospel by throwing stifling rules and regulations on folks so that they can’t even see the Light through it all. Jesus gets lost when we choose to be fog rather than clouds.
And speaking of Jesus and clouds – we are told in Revelation 1:7 that Jesus will be coming with the clouds! When He returns to reign for good, every eye will see Him and all confusion, chaos and disorder will end. We have so much reason to hold to hope! And we also have a responsibility to make our brief time on earth worthwhile. Both clouds and fog are fleeting, as we all are, but are we going to choose to be a part of the disorder and distortion, or a part of the divinely beautiful and devoted?
Psalm 27:14, HLC
sacred strokes 