Fog of war – The Arrow Preacher

Jesus Through The Fog

Life is an endless array of new experiences that come our way whether we want to or not. The hope is that we can navigate our life in a fog and pray we can maintain a good path, one led by Jesus. We may not truly know what tomorrow will bring, but we still have the son to guide us. Faith in Christ to navigate the uncertainty and foggy conditions of life is so important.

When I was in the military we learned about the fog of war “is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding one’s own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign.” (Wikipedia) Life is very much the same way, and when it’s full of uncertainty all we can do is attempt to navigate the best we can. As we find our way through the blinding clouds we must understand that not everything we come across is a blessing. We are taught to test these things, 1 John 4:1“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” The darkness always seems different then the day, the objects we think we know bend and contort to different shapes. No matter the fog, the darkness, or any situation you may find yourself, look to the sky because there is always hope in Jesus Christ. There is no darkness to dark, no fog that is too think that will keep Jesus from you. You are saved by the blood, cleansed by perfect grace and love, and you weren’t given a spirit of fear, but one of courage. The son will always burn away the fog to make things clear, sometimes, we just have to be patient.

Alsahm السهم -(The Arrow)

Lately I’ve been thinking about the darkness. In one of my favorite books growing up called The Hatchet the young protagonist is a survivor of a plane crash in the middle of the woods. All he really has is a hatchet that was given to his as a gift. A few days after the crash he learns he can use the hatchet on the stone to create sparks, thus being able to light a fire. Growing up I was a big fan of D&D or Dungeons and Dragons for those who don’t speak nerd. One of my favorite things to do was to light my arrows on fire before launching them at the enemy. It was always a little extra if it hit. The plus side was it always lit up the room of the dungeon we always found ourselves in. Don’t we wish life would be that easy? Wouldn’t it be nice if the fog of war was truly lifted with just a single matchstrike of an arrow and all of a sudden the ghosts and goblins that are on the prowl around us are visible for the entire world to see?

If the saying is true about God using us like arrows then the example of drawing the bow pulling the arrow backwards, soon you will be launched forward. One of the things I struggle with is patience. This is a surprising thing because I’m also an archer and a long-range shooter. Both require patience. Since I am patient in regards to that, one would think that in regards to other aspects of my life I would be too, and of course, without question they’d be wrong. I am not a patient man when it comes to matters of the heart, or matters of fixing the things I see are wrong. I have never liked being single, and I’ve never liked knowing about a problem and not fixing it there on the spot. Patience is something we are taught in scripture and it’s something we often need to be reminded of. Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” Not only does it say to be patient; it says to rejoice in it. Were supposed to be happy in our pursuit in patience. Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” No matter how long it may take, we should not grow tired in our times of trails, and we should not grow tired while we do good works. For it is that time that we must remain patient and vigilant for our time of grace is but a blink in the eye for the Father. We cannot force change for it is not our change to force. The only true gifts are those of the Fathers graces to us.

The Arrow a symbol of moving forward, flying in a direction aimed by the archer. The essence of patience, of speed and of accuracy is the arrow. The symbol of the arrow has been used throughout the ages. The arrow goes back to Greek and Roman mythology as a sign of strength and speed. Alsahm or The Arrow in Arabic. While in ancient China the arrow was a symbol that hung in the front of the house telling the world of the birth of a son. The arrow is a symbol of power, of direction and of survival. The earliest arrows as they are also used today were used to hunt and to take the life of an animal, which provided strength for the tribe in nourishment. As I have taken up the pseudonym Arrow preacher, I too provide nourishment to my flock but spiritual in nature. The Arrow’s long lasting symbolism in human society is so powerful, so beautiful, I cannot overlook something so important, so beautiful in my own life. The arrow on a compass pointed north, symbolizing the direction of God, we must always keep our arrow in line, and we must always remember which way to go. Draw back your bow, take aim, and as you fly towards your next chapter in life, remember to let God be the one to set your glide path.