When the Fog Settles In

Notes from Alex

Have you ever wandered through your town, your community, or along a quiet trail and felt as though you were walking through a fog?

Not a fog you can see with your eyes, but one you feel deep within your soul.

You know the difference between right and wrong. You know good from evil. Yet there is this quiet stirring inside that whispers, There has to be more than this.

For many, that whisper is quickly drowned out by fear.

Fear of surrender.

Fear of change.

Fear of what others might think if we truly walked beside our Creator instead of simply talking about Him on Sunday.

Maybe you’ve even believed the lie that no one really cares about you. That somehow you’ve slipped through the cracks and have to carry the weight of this life alone.

I’ve learned those thoughts aren’t the truth.

They’re the fog.

The older I get, the less concerned I am about how I appear to others. I don’t have the energy to pretend anymore. If someone sees me walking these trails with my Creator, praying quietly as I go, talking with Him like an old friend, then so be it.

I’ve discovered that peace isn’t found in hiding who you are.

It’s found in walking honestly with God.

There have been many days when I’ve walked alone, carrying burdens no one else could see. Smiling on the outside while my heart quietly whispered something entirely different.

Sometimes I didn’t even know how to pray.

The only words I could find were:

“God… I’m tired.”

The beautiful thing is that God never asks us to come to Him with polished prayers or perfect words.

He simply asks us to come.

To bring the exhaustion.

To bring the questions.

To bring the disappointment.

To bring the fear.

He already knows.

As I continue walking these trails of life, I’ve realized that the fog doesn’t always disappear all at once. Sometimes God doesn’t remove the fog immediately. Instead, He teaches us to trust His voice one step at a time.

Faith isn’t always seeing the whole trail ahead.

Often, it’s simply trusting the One who is walking beside you.

So if today you feel lost…

If you’re weary…

If your heart is carrying more than anyone knows…

Know this:

You are not walking alone.

The Creator has never left your side.

And sometimes the most powerful prayer you’ll ever pray is simply,

“God… I’m tired.”

He hears every word.

And He is faithful to lead us home.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6

— Alex Atkinson Jr.
Notes from Alex