Sign Says…
“Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” Proverbs 8:33-34
We’ve all heard the one about the man who climbs to his roof in the flood and prays to God to be saved. He refuses mortal assistance three times while waiting for Divine intervention. After the man perishes he asks God why he didn’t save him, only to have God reply, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter….”
As Christians, our lives are devoted to faith in God, communicating through prayer and looking for ‘signs’ that are God’s responses, answers or direction. For years I too wondered what signs those were. How was God going to communicate to me? Would I recognize it when it came by? A burning bush would be nice and obvious, but I haven’t heard of any such occurrences lately.
My ‘a-ha’ moment came a number of years ago. Fresh out of college, figuring out life on my own, I was struggling with my confidence, my self-awareness, and my full independence. I was in the ‘real world’ for all of 9 months, and I felt alone and unsure of myself, as my friends were all moving away and I realized my strength had always been somewhat reliant on having them around. And for the first time in my life, I turned to prayer for strength and guidance.
That’s when the signs started to come. I was gaining the overwhelming sense that I needed to go out West. It was eerie how Seattle started showing up everywhere. I opened a book at a bookstore and the first word on the page that I saw was “Seattle”. I passed a U-Haul truck that had a picture of the famous Space Needle on it. Literature for the University of Washington showed up in my mailbox, without ever having been requested. I took the hint and I made the call.
EJ is an old family friend. He lived next door to us around the time I was transitioning out of rubber pants. He was in school at Notre Dame. We always stayed connected via Christmas and birthday cards. This time we connected via phone, as I called to see if he was available for a visit while I checked out the Northwest.
During my week visiting Seattle, EJ and I spent almost the entire week together and we talked about everything: life, religion, relationships, independence, family. To this day, it’s one of the single most important weeks of my personal journey. And above all, I had the realization that God wasn’t sending me somewhere new to start over, but was trying to give me a nudge to re-connect with a wise, old friend to help me get through a challenging part of my life. The experience strengthened both my faith and my awareness of God’s way of communicating and answering prayers for direction. Though we never truly know God’s plan for us, I believe He intentionally directed me to EJ, knowing the influence and comfort it would provide me.
Ever since, I strive to be mindful of the signs, trying to pay close attention to God’s direction and guidance. Jen and I talk often about how God is trying to help us prioritize our lives or direct our actions. We believe signs led us to each other and directed us to Michigan. And I’m committed to God and to myself to not be the man on the roof.
All of this comes to you thanks to another sign along my path. I have thought about writing a devotional for a couple years, but somehow life (that’s code for “work”) manages to get in the way. Then it happened. I got a sign from God again. Though it may not have seemed like a sign to most, it was for me. It was a personal conversation to me that it was time to put pen to paper, delivered via Charlie. Once again, God provided a gentle nudge to help me prioritize or resolve unmet opportunities.
Thanks, Charlie.
Lord, thank you for the prayers answered and the guidance and direction shared. Please continue to send signs to guide us and remind us of your presence and influence on our lives. Thank you for your patience as we try to read the signs along our journey and serve as ambassadors of your love and compassion. Amen
Reed Bingaman
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