For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope if from God. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be shaken. (Psalm 62:5-6)

As I sit here this morning, I am watching the light of day beginning to break through the daily fog that greets me near the Pacific Ocean. When we were children, we would often come to the beach on our summer school break to spend a beach day with our cousins. The morning would invariably begin with cold and fog — we would all be bundled up in sweatshirts and towels, building sand castles and romping along the shoreline chasing the sea gulls. Eventually, the fog would begin to “burn off.” That simply meant that the noonday sun finally won the battle over the fog. We would finally be warm enough to throw off the layers of protection and brave the icy Pacific waves.

Even now, I look out at the morning fog, just waiting for the light to break through the grayness. Some summer days, the fog never burns off, but most afternoons usher in glorious cerulean blue skies free from the heaviness that fog brings. I’ve been thinking about that image today. All of us seem to be in a fog of our own in these times — we are facing our own daily battles with the exhaustion that comes from dealing with this pandemic day after day. Some of us know health challenges, some are grieving the loss of ones they love, others are mourning the loss of the life we had once taken for granted. Others are being challenged by relationship difficulties or economic hardships.

Wherever we are in this fog, I am reminded that the light always breaks through, perhaps not as soon as we would hope, but I trust that the light will always break through. The fog will burn off — perhaps a little at a time, perhaps all at once. That I do not know. But, one thing I do know. If we are waiting with hope, we will see the light that has always been there, just waiting to burn off our fog.

Rev. Dr. Deb Kaiser-Cross
Minister for Congregational Care

For all who are having difficulty seeing the light through the fog:
O Lord of sunshine, the fog of uncertainty and fear is crowding our your light in our lives. Yet, you are the One who reminds us to let go of our worries and our fears. You sit with us in our silent hope. You lift us up above the fog to help us witness the light breaking through little by little. Grant us the trust that you are at work burning up the fog that we might see the wideness of your realm today. Amen.