By DANNY MINTON

The fog had rolled in when James punched out to go home. He entered his car and immediately knew it would be a slow drive with fog so thick he could barely see anything of any distance. James spotted some taillights in front and thought to himself, “This guy seems to be moving pretty well; I’ll follow him until things clear up and I can see better. He followed the taillights as they moved down the road and around a curve. The lights seemed to be moving in the right direction, so he continued as the car took a left turn. James followed when the red lights became bright, and the vehicle stopped. Bam! James smashed into the rear of the car he followed.

Furious, he jumped out of the car as the man in front exited his. “What in the world were you doing? You knew I was right behind you; why did you brake so suddenly?” The man calmly walked up to James and said, “I don’t know where you were going, mister, but I’m in my driveway!”

We live in a world where people constantly take directions, not knowing where they will lead. We follow people we don’t even know and believe things without even checking them out. Social media displays some of the worst directions that come our way. Someone says something, and all of a sudden, there are numerous likes and shares without even knowing if it’s true or not. We feel somehow if it’s on the computer, it must be accurate and find ourselves following without knowing what lies ahead.

I remember when I broke my neck playing football, a reporter interviewed me for a story. I missed the state game due to not finding a station that carried it locally. When the story came out, there were quotes about the game that I had never made. It made the story better, but parts of it were misleading. We must be careful to make sure the light is one of truth.

Life has many directions and turns that make it difficult. At times we get lost and look for guidance from different sources. Sometimes the path we head to becomes the right way. Then again, there are times we make bad decisions. There are times we follow the wrong crowd.

One of the most significant decisions we make is who we are going to be around. With what type of people do we associate? Are they people of integrity and good character who will help us in life? Are they people who are lost themselves? Are they people out for the good of others or people out for only what they can get for themselves? 

The tricky part is that we are often in a fog. We feel we’re okay when we really can’t see what is happening around us. Then we crash, and it’s not until then that we realize the mistake we’ve made. Fortunately, most of the time, we can recover and get back on the right road, but often the damage has been done and is difficult to repair. 

However, there is one light that we can always depend on to lead us in the right direction; One light that will help us through the twists and turns we cannot see in the fog; One light that can bring us safely home. 

Jesus told us, “I am the light of the world.” 

So next time you feel that your life is in the middle of a fog, look for the true light. If we follow him, we receive the promise that “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Danny Minton is Pastoral Minister and Elder at Southern Hills Church of Christ