Zero Visibility Possible

Driving through the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona recently, I had some time to think about dust storms. There were signs to remind me to think about them. Otherwise they might not have crossed my mind. The wind was blowing fiercely. In the distance we could see swirls of dust dancing like little brown tornadoes.

And then the warning signs began to appear on the side of the road, preparing us for the possibility of a dust storm. The first sign said:

         

That was a little direct. The Department of Transportation could have chosen softer wording. Maybe ‘BEWARE of DUST’ or ‘DUST CAN HAMPER VISIBILITY.’ But no, ‘ZERO VISIBILITY POSSIBLE.’ Things could get serious quick.

The next three signs came with clear brief directives.

               

1)      Pull off roadway – This instruction made a lot of sense. If you can’t see where you are going, it’s better not to go there.

2)      Turn vehicle off – Ok, we would have probably done that eventually. Conserve our fuel. Close off ventilation so less dust gets inside the car.

3)      Feet off brakes – This one puzzled us a little. Wouldn’t we want the traffic behind us to see our lights so they wouldn’t run into us? A quick bit of research clarified that showing no lights is to prevent cars from running into the back of you, not realizing you are stopped on the shoulder.

Fortunately we did not have to practice what we learned about dust storms during our drive out West.  But I’m holding on to these instructions for the next time a dust storm of life blows into my face.

You’ve had one or two of these kind of dust storms in your life by now.  The diagnosis. The divorce. The death. The devastation. The things that can bring ZERO VISIBILITY to your life’s plan. The things that leave you in the dark, not knowing what you will do next. We all hope there will never be another one like that. But life tends to bring them again.

The next time your life hits ZERO VISIBILITY, here’s what you can do:

1)      Pull off roadway – Don’t worry about your route right now. Just stop the plans. It’s not the time to make progress on big goals or make a lot of big decisions. It’s the time to wait. To be safe. To take care of yourself. To rely on Him. These are times when He invites us to ‘Be still and know that I am God’ [Ps 46:10, ESV]

2)      Turn vehicle off – Turn off the non-essential parts of life. This gives us space to deal with the blinding problem at hand. Some life trials give us no choice to do this. I went into early labor with my daughter and was bedridden for four weeks. Everything in my life was turned off for me. Other times, we can choose what to continue and what to stop.  While a few distractions can be helpful, narrowing down to the basics gives us time to rest and conserve energy. They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; [Is 40:31, ESV]

3)      Feet off brakes – Make sure your crisis doesn’t attract others to bring their problems into your problems. Sometimes we need to talk about our problem and get the support of others. But sometimes we need to shield ourselves so we don’t add new problems to the mix.  Be selective with who you let into your world right now. Protect yourself. Be understanding of others in the same boat. Jesus referred to that in this parable, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? [Luke 6:39, ESV]

Remember that once your dust storm starts to die down a little, you will get some visibility back again. Then it will be ok to make some decisions and take some steps towards recovery.

But while you can’t see your hand in front of your face, give yourself a break. You don’t have to be strong. Pull over, be still, and wait quietly.