Last week Brian and I had the privilege of spending a week of vacation in Costa Rica. It was a glorious time of rest, good food, and catching up with one another after a very busy season. Getting away was good for our souls.

I don’t know about you but when I think of Costa Rica, I think rainforest, like the Rainforest Cafe at the Yorkdale Mall! Our resort was on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It was hot and dry there, so we couldn’t leave the country without taking a three hour trip to the rain forest. We travelled by bus, up precarious roads until we were 1500 feet above sea level, high into the clouds.

We were actually in a “cloud forest”. Did you know that a cloud forest is a high-elevation forest characterized by a persistent, canopy-level cloud cover? Warm winds from the Atlantic Ocean sweep over the continental divide, cooling and condensing to form clouds as they rise. The clouds are thick and filled with moisture so the forest is bathed in a constant supply of mist, which, over the course of a year, amounts to nearly twelve feet of rain!

We got off the bus and walked for two hours in the clouds, which was not dissimilar to walking in a fog but at a higher altitude.

We’ve all walked in the fog, either literally or figuratively, right?

Like when you just can’t see the big picture, only the little bit in front of you. Or maybe you’re asking how or why did this “thing” happen, unable to see any potential good. You simply can’t see the forest; you can only see the trees.

For us walking in the fog wasn’t all that bad because we had a guide to take us through the forest. Our guide led the way, guiding our footing, educating us about the flora and (sometimes poisonous) fauna, and reminding us to walk in the centre of the suspension bridge (and not swing the bridge - I only did that once :).

Walking in the fog is not always easy but when God is there, like our cloud forest guide, it makes it easier. When God is your guide, walking through the fog is still wet, and unclear but the experience is fuller and richer and there is the promise and certainty that you will get through it. The guide will see to it.

This week we will be talking about finding the Favour of God (FOG) by looking at examples of those who “found favour” with God. Two weeks later we will conclude by talking about how to walk in the FOG. You won’t want to miss it!

Are you living in the FOG - the Favour of God?