There is fog that is a collection of tiny water drops suspended in the air that reduces visibility sometimes to nothing, wreaking havoc on morning rush-hour driving conditions, sometimes resulting in car crashes, caused especially by folks who have insufficient common sense to respect this natural phenomenon over which they have no control, and adjust their ragged driving style.
And there is FOG -- "free online games dot com" (I know because I just Googled it). On freeonlinegames.com one can engage in driving games (more car crashes?), or shooting, killing or war games, among others. I would rather not explore the site to write more intelligently on this matter; at first glance it has no socially redeeming value. Of course, many may say the same about my blog. Suum cuique.
And . . . there is the state of being in a "fog" -- you know -- when one's thoughts are just not clear. A decision is out of reach. The uncertain state leaves one stagnant; there is no movement, no growth, no progress.
These are not the kinds of FOGs of which I write. The FOG that occupies my thoughts today is my Family Of God. Yeah, yeah, I know everyone does not share my belief. Well, that is everyone's right. And those who find this topic unworthy of exploring, and perhaps may be more interested in the FOG representing freeonlinegames.com, are all free to close this tab, or window, or whatever, on their browsers. Again, to each his own. If you do, however, you may miss something you really need for yourself, even if you are unaware the need exists.
So what is the big deal about Andrea's Family of God? Wow! I am sooo glad you asked! Keep reading. Please.
Humans are gregarious creatures, for the most part. (There are some anomalies – like folks who intentionally maintain reclusive lifestyles – but that is for another time.) We humans like to socialize, preferably among our own kind. There is something to be said for birds of a feather . . .. This gregarious nature of man (if one has read my blog before, one knows well that I mean all of humankind and I am not particularly fond of being politically correct, so please deal with man and let us continue) is responsible for private clubs, single-gender institutions (even though the excluded gender raises a stink if not admitted), hunting clubs, bowling clubs, genre-specific music groups, gender-specific music groups, thousands of Yahoo, Google and other online groups specific to a particular subject or interest, and much more. Men of the same ilk tend to seek each other out.
Sometimes you can look at a cluster of people and have a good idea of their common bond. This is something that fascinates me about the Olympic Games. Generally, one can observe groups of athletes and know they represent a particular country, simply by their physical characteristics, or their outward appearance. Except, of course, for the United States.
We Americans are a mixed bag, and until you reach in and pull something out, there is no telling what one will get. That is the way Heaven will look. (Note to theological scholars: let’s not get bogged down with this, just go with it). Because that is the beauty of the Family of God. We are young, old, tall, short, rail thin, average (whatever that means) plump and plumper. We are black, brown, white, and yellow, and various mixes of those. We are professionals, laborers, technicians, artists and craftsmen. We are on all points of the socio-economic spectrum. However, unlike society's measure, whether we live in a row house, boat house or mansion -- or drive a Honda or a hoopty or a Hummer -- live from day-to-day or week-to-week or get direct deposits from trust fund distributions or are "set" for the remainder of our natural lives -- we are all super rich! And why is that? Because we are FOGs. And all members of the FOG are children of God, Creator of the Universe. And the earth is His and everything in it.
Being in The FOG is a nice place to be. It means not only is God with me in spirit; it means also that He has hands to hold mine, arms to hug me, ears to listen to my woes, lips to pray with and for me, and voices to join me in praising Him in song. My FOG (you can find them online at www.smbc.org) does all that for and with me, and more. And, there is even more: One of the neatest things is wherever I am, there are other members of the universal FOG, folks I had never met until my Father caused our paths to cross. They have come to my rescue, and I to theirs. And, being the wanna-be-so-independent woman I am, even over my protests, they have said to me “just make my day and let me help you.”
So, does that mean that we have no problems, no pitfalls, no puzzling situations? Absolutely not! What it does mean, however, is that none of us is alone with those pesky P's, because we bear each other’s burdens, in thought, word, prayer and deed. In good times and bad times, we are family, offering each other our love, care, kinship and hope. We learn from each other, give to each other and receive from each other by God's grace.
Even when we are dealing with our own stuff, we are with each other, helping each other carry those burdens. Have you ever, in your own misery, turned away from yourself and did something for someone else? Was it not the most exhilarating thing you have ever experienced? Did you then rethink your perspective of your own situation and determine perhaps it is not as bad as you once thought? Being in the FOG can do that for you.
When you are in the FOG, you are never alone! Do you think you would rather be in the CLOUD than the FOG? Do you know what happens in the CLOUD? Think about some of the conditions of the Cloud:
- Cloud-dwellers live with clenched hands, and in so doing they are unable to give or receive to and from others.
- Cloud-dwellers live by, for and within themselves, and are often contaminated by the company they keep.
- Cloud-dwellers never see anyone beyond their own mirrors, and miss the joy of sharing even the most mundane tasks and occasions.
- Cloud-dwellers are self-deluded, thinking they have succeed by their own efforts alone, routinely refusing to acknowledge the shoulders on which they stand.
Trust me on this: being in the FOG is much, much better than being in the CLOUD. Which do you choose? the Family Of God? or the Chaotic Lunacy Of Ungodly Deportment?
I’m just asking . . .
So, if you ever tire of dwelling in the CLOUD, we members of the FOG will welcome you with open arms and hearts, and we will pledge ourselves to be the Family Of God for you.
Be at peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment