Forget About the Signs

I wrote about signs a few weeks back. Something along the lines of, "you'll know it was meant for you when you have it," or "you'll know you're where you need to be when you get there." It occurred to me only an hour or two later that this season we are in is a season of looking for signs. Several months ago --about two years ago, if I really stop to think about it-- God told Scott and I to prepare for something. It was something we'd wanted to do years and years before, but we never seemed to move on it. When we heard God's voice calling us to it in 2021, I wasn't quite sure. So many things had changed, we were older ("on the downstroke" as Scott says); but "Just get ready," was the word I received. As I said, it's been two years of preparations, and every time we seem to build up momentum, something else scurries out from the roadside, and the brakes are applied. At this present time, we're barely cruising. We've encountered another roadblock with regard to another situation. That has our undivided attention at the moment. But as we address this new delay, we watch. Are we to go with the flow, rest, and simply watch for the lesson in this? Are we to explore new possibilities so that other projects might begin moving again? Is this God's way of redirecting our attention to things that may be priorities to Him? Are we nearing the end of our current season, and being given precious days to pour everything we have into it before moving on? Will this roadblock simply move as it has in times past --no explanation, no obvious change in anything else? God, can you show us, give us even a glimpse of what we are to do, of what will be?

"Signs" make it so easy to trust. What do we do? When do we do it? So does knowing how things will happen. Maybe He'll do this, making way for that. I started writing this article on Thursday and the following week received this from a friend: 

I wish God would tell us the “why” or at least give us a timeframe. It would certainly make hardships more bearable and in my case would’ve given me more patience 😕(always room for guilt).

I could so feel that! We all want to know. We tell ourselves knowing would make it easier in some way. But would that really be the case? I think the words of my friend answer that question: she may have had more patience if she knew just how much more she had to endure. Being given patience is different from having patience developed in you. Life almost certainly would have been easier, but not necessarily better. Knowing may allow us to make it to the finish line, but does it teach us to finish well? Sort of like the man given a fish: he eats for a day but has no idea how he will eat tomorrow. I think it's sort of ironic that none of us wishes to be a puppet, none of us likes to be told what to do, but the minute we think we're in over our heads, we begin praying for things like direction, clarity, signs.

I'm being encouraged today to stop looking for signs or answers, to simply embrace this season we're in and look for My Father instead. He invites each of us to lean into Him, to talk to Him, and He is faithful to respond.