A Momentary Fog

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

After a relentlessly rainy day, I was surprised to see the sun peek out of the clouds as evening approached. Driving my daughter to youth group a little later, I marveled at the low-lying fog that had silently appeared and now hovered near the earth, stealing through the woods and slipping over rain-slicked roads.

“The closer you get to it, the more it seems to disappear,” my daughter observed.

Even though we know that fog is simply a collection of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere near the earth, it still feels a little mysterious. Elusive. Barring special measures, there is no way to capture it or hold it tightly. Its very nature is that of a vapor.

The epistle of James reminds us that our lives are just as transitory as that disappearing fog. Even though a single day can feel like it’s dragging on with no end in sight, the years pass quickly. But the slippery nature of time and the brevity of life aren’t something to mourn; instead, they are simply reminders that our time on earth is limited.

When James compares life to morning fog, it’s not in the sense that it doesn’t matter or won’t last long. Nor is it that we shouldn’t make plans for the future. He is simply offering the gentle reminder that it’s arrogant for us to think that we alone are in charge of our fate. Fog is impermanent; its nature reminds us that much of life is beyond our control.

We can be thankful for today, for this moment. The present should be our focus—not because our past and future don’t matter, but because this is all we truly have. We can’t fix the past; we can’t control tomorrow. But here—in this moment—we can soak up the joys of the day.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

First, pause and thank God for this moment. Then, focus on being fully present in every activity throughout the day.