Thoughts on a Tuesday morning in Vienna

I'm on my daily trek into the city for class.  I should be studying now, but my iPod just switched from German dialogue to Augustana's "Boston," and all of a sudden, my romantic sentiments are engaged, and I'm inspired to write - with pencil and paper yet!  Why not blog, right?

Vienna, in the late autumn / early winter, is covered in a thick fog.  It's the curse of the Donau.  This beautiful waterway which shimmers bright and blue in the summer causes a droggy haze to cover the city in the drudgery of winter.  Every so often the sunrays find their way through the haze, and we all breathe deeply and sigh.  "Die Sonne scheint."  I made up a silly song in German on Saturday, singing it with giddiness to Nathanael as we walked to the grocery store.  It was simply about the sun shining, the weather being warmer, the day beautiful...  It reflected the light feeling of the sunny morning.

Where am I going with this?  I cannot help but view all of this from a spiritual perspective.  I actually love the fog here -- it's something different, and it causes me to have a greater appreciation for the sun when it blesses us with its rays.  Recently I have been reflecting on God's sovereignty in often only allowing us to see what we must for our current situation, sometimes one step further.  We rarely view this foggy haze as a blessing.  But when the rays of understanding suddenly break through, it is truly glorious!  We see a fraction of the beauty of our Creator, how He marvelously works all for His glory and how He is so intimately aware of our needs and concerned with our good.

As I strive to learn this new language, I am truly in awe as to how God had prepared Gregory and me to be here in Vienna in the many years prior, even though we were oblivious to His greater plan, even though we felt we were often walking through a foggy haze.  I smile as I think of how this also is only a tiny thread in the tapestry of His Kingdom's plan.