Oct. 5, 2012–I never tire of the mountains of Western North Carolina. Part of the Appalachian range, they are believed to be between 450 – 600 million years old, making them among the oldest mountains on the planet – older than the tall peaks of the Asian Himalayans or the rugged crags of the North American Rockies.
On a recent weekend family drive to Asheville, we again encountered Western North Carolina’s geological beauty and majesty. As we oohed and aahed our way around curvy roads, the mountains this day were draped in a gauzy, white haze, leaving us to fill in the missing ridges and peaks with our memories and imaginations.
It made me think that mountain tops aren’t the only places where white haze makes it impossible to see the whole scene. Life is like that, too. In particular, fear often clouds my ability to have faith that there is a more complete picture waiting for me. If I am patient or – more frequently – if I am willing to make changes, the white haze eventually grows thinner. I can then make out the faint outlines of the ridges and peaks ahead, giving me a sense of where I may be heading next and what may be required of me.
In this October season of transition and change, may we have faith in our ability to eventually see what lies beyond the white haze. May we, in the words found in Hebrews, “have the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”