Can you read the signs?

I was hanging out a few t-shirts on the clothesline Saturday afternoon when two motorcycles came roaring down our quiet country lane. Wait for it, I told myself, and sure enough, as I picked up my basket a few minutes later and headed for the house, here they came, barreling back. Obviously, the riders hadn’t read the sign that said, Road Closed Ahead.

Back in March we had a real gully-washer that sent water cascading off the mountain into the creeks around us. The bridge that is a little less than a mile from us was completely washed out, leaving the asphalt sunk into the creek. It looked like a scene from an earthquake movie.

Our county crew did a good job of putting up barricades and dump trucks of dirt to keep anyone from driving headlong off the edge. They also put up signs saying Road Closed. The problem is, people either don’t see the sign, don’t believe it, or choose to ignore it. The locals know not to come our way, but those that are just out for a nice ride in the country are surprised when they find a giant gap in the road. So our new pastime is watching vehicles head toward the bridge and turn around and come back.

I can’t be too judgmental, since I have sometimes not followed signs saying merge or detour or stop ahead. When I am focused on my destination, I don’t want to be slowed down by signs. Unfortunately, not following the signs can cause me more aggravation in the long run.

I thought about how this is true in my spiritual life as well as on the road. I often miss the signs that God is trying to give me, or I don’t like what they are saying, so I just ignore them. On the other hand, sometimes I am trying so hard to see the signs that I miss my turn!

We were discussing how to know God’s will in our Sunday School class last week — how do we catch the signs He puts out for us? I feel like I’ve been asking this question since I was a teen.

Our teacher, Charlie Bethel, used the analogy of a horse and rider to explain how we can better hear God’s direction in our lives. An inexperienced rider like myself will pull on the horse’s reins and try to kick and manhandle the huge animal. But when the horse and rider have worked together for a long time and know each other well, the rider only has to give the horse a slight nudge of the knee for him to know what to do. The horse trusts the person on his back and therefore lets him or her lead.

Jesus was around sheep more than horses, so he used this principle when he said, I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. (John 10:14a) The sheep don’t have trouble knowing what their shepherd wants them to do because they are focused on following him.

Every now and then a lamb got distracted by a tuft of grass that looked enticing and wandered off, and the shepherd had to go get him. I get distracted a lot also, and Jesus has to keep going after me and pulling me back into the right frame of mind.

I find when I spend time just listening and keeping my heart open, God’s directions are not too hard to hear. I don’t always like what I hear — I don’t like signs saying I can’t go the way I want to go— but I’m learning that life goes easier when I accept what is in my path. When I choose to believe in the signs God gives me, I avoid being like the motorcyclists who had to change their course when they found out that the road ahead really was impassable.

What helps you follow God’s signs?

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