Often after a heavy rain in Oak Mountain, there is a blanket of fog. And when I drive to church, I have to travel through it all the way down the mountain.

Sometimes the visibility is reduced to about 30 feet. But I am able to drive from my house to the church because I have driven along that route many times during the past year and a half.

I know the hills, curves and landmarks. I know when I am passing the Lee Branch shopping center, Jim & Nick&8217;s BBQ and Wal-Mart. I know when I am passing those places, not because I could see them, but the highway told me where I was. I know the road well because I have driven it on many sunny, blue sky days. I had to trust in my memories of a time when there was no fog in order to get myself through the fog.

A great deal of life is like living in the fog. We are not certain of what is around us, where we are going, what or who might be around the next curve. We moved slowly along the roads of life without a clear vision of what will happen next. Trying to find our way through personal problems, economic concerns, and family troubles is like driving through the fog rather than moving down the road on a clear day.

Likewise, matters of faith and belief are sometimes more like a fog than a clear day.

Most of us live in a fog when it comes to questions like, &8220;Who is God?&8221; &8220;What is God Like?&8221; and &8220;What does God want me to do?&8221; We are not really sure what to do in our service to God.

Therefore an important reason for us gathering together every Sunday and sometimes during the week, is to spend some time with Jesus. To allow Jesus and his word to clear the fog away from our lives.

To allow Jesus to use his power to perform some fog-clearing moments in our lives.

Edd and Mary Pat Spencer serve as co-pastors at First Christian Church in Birmingham