In A Fog

Last week I drove my mother to her doctor in Concord, NH-about an hour’s distance from where we live. We had cancelled the original appointment due to illness and took what we could get-4:00 PM. My night vision is not good, but I figured the worst case scenario would have us heading home by 4:30, and with the longer days it wouldn’t be totally dark by the end of our journey. I uttered those famous words, “how bad can it be?”

It was bad.

First, mom was not take into the office until twenty minutes past her scheduled time. Then the doctor ran late and didn’t enter the exam room until twenty five minutes after that. Then he determined an extra test was required.

When we stepped outside at 5:30, my heart nearly stopped. In addition to the darkness, it was raining, and a heavy fog had rolled in. Visibility was nearly non-existent. Needless to say, it was a harrowing drive. Mom and I prayed all the way home. I prayed God would clear the fog, give me clear vision, and keep us safe. As the miles passed, and the fog didn’t clear, I became angry. Why wasn’t God clearing the mist? Did he not care about us?
As we got closer to home, I realized God had answered my prayer. He had given me enough visibility to arrive without incident. I never lost sight of the yellow line in the center of the road. He had not answered in the manner I requested (demanded?). I wanted him to lift the fog, but he saw us home.

Has that ever happened to you? You approach God with a situation and make your request, and you don’t get the answer you’re looking for. You get a different response, perhaps even a no. Sometimes it’s difficult not to get angry.
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Rest assured. God has your best interests at heart, even when it doesn’t seem like it. Next time you’re praying, include a request for God to help you accept his answer-whatever it might be.

“The Lord is ear to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”
Psalm 145:18 NASB

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Linda Shenton Matchett

With a BA in Psychology and Masters in Human Resource Management, Linda Matchett has had a wide and varied career as a crisis counselor, HR generalist, B&B owner and youth center director. She is currently the Front of House, Snackbar & Catering Manager at Brewster Academy. A journalist and blogger, she has written for numerous online and print publications. An author of Christian contemporary and historical fiction, Linda is also a a motivational speaker. Available topics include Life on the (WWII) Home Front, Wartime Baking, Women in the (WWII) Workforce, The Writer’s Life, God in the Workplace, The Proverbs 31 Gal: The Woman We Love to Hate, and Ruth: Lessons from a Foreigner. Linda is a member of First Baptist Church Wolfeboro where she sings in the choir and serves as Church Treasurer and a member of the Fellowship Team.