That being said, I hate driving in the rain. There are other things I dislike more, but driving in the rain is near the top. The only thing that makes it worse is driving in the rain at night. Both of these qualifications were met last weekend as I traveled home. You can imagine my joy. As you may or may not realize driving at night limits visibility, and when you add rain to darkness, your already limited visibility decreases even more. When your dealing with several thousand pound death machines all moving at high speeds around each other, visibility becomes vitally important. So windshield wipers were invented. An ingenious idea that helps clear your windshield of water to help you see. Of course visibility is not perfect, but it is better than having no windshield wipers.
The catch is, they kinda have to work to be effective. Mine were not working. Now they were moving correctly, but the wiper part was not really wiping. Instead of clearing my windshield of excess water, mine just smeared it around more, which was less than helpful in a construction zone with narrow uneven lanes.
It occurred to me that windshield wipers are not things I routinely check. Because it does not always rain. Out of sight out of mind. Most of the time I can see clearly. But every now and again a storm rolls along and obstructs my vision. Now obviously the wipers don't stop, eliminate, or get rid of the storm, they just help my vision in the storm. A few days ago I was asked this question by a man I respect and trust:
"What is your vision for ________ ?"The question blew me away, caught me off-guard, and I stammered like an idiot. I wasn't really sure how to answer, because I wasn't really sure what my vision was. Most of the time I don't think about my vision, because the weather is fair so to speak. I can move through life without having to worry about it, because things are going well, moving along without a hitch. But then storms come your way, and if your vision is not clear, you can become quite destructive. Now maybe you won't crash, but your journey will definitely be more difficult, slow going, and frustrating. And with poor vision you don't just put yourself in jeopardy, but those around you as well. If you can't see where you are going you are not going to get there.
I'm calling for a wiper check so to speak. I think it's time we stop and ask ourselves the question: "What is my vision?" What are your goals? What do you want to accomplish? What and where is God calling you to go or do? What paths are you going to take to get there? What is your vision? Doing a wiper check, taking time to evaluate, define, or establish vision won't make problems go away, but it will help when your life gets dark, or you run into a storm, or both happen at the same time
When problems arise, when the circumstances are less than pleasant, having a clear vision keeps you on track; helps keep you focused on where you are going and what you are doing. Obstructed vision will derail anyone, and could easily be prevented. You may think you're fine, but would't it be better to know you are. It's time for a wiper check. It's time to ask hard questions, and maybe make some tough decisions and even changes. In the long run you'll be glad you did. Maybe I'm on to something, or maybe this is just another musing of a modern-day sasquatch
