Recently, as I have been observing different people who cross my path, it occurred to me that we are all signposts. We may not mean to be. We may not want to be, but we are all pointing others in some direction. The knowledge that people are watching us, and are often using us as a guideline is very humbling, and comes with a great deal of responsibility.
I want to share a few signposts that I have encountered in the past few days. I have a friend who after jumping from a cliff into a lake burst a vertebrae; a very serious injury that required extensive surgery and rehab. She is young and active; an obvious daredevil. Her life and the lives of her husband and children, have been abruptly interrupted. As signposts, they could have sent those of us watching in the direction of "why did this terrible thing happen to me?" But, they have not. They have guided us to a place of blessing. They have shared, honestly, the pain, the fear, the trials, but through it all, they have shared the joys and lessons and blessings that have come from this time of stress. Their children will always remember this event in their lives. They will always remember the love that has been shown their family. They will always remember the sacrifice their grandmother has graciously and, yes, gratefully made to keep their lives running as smoothly as possible. Those children will always remember their parents' laughter through dismay, their strength in their weakness, and the beautiful embodiment of marriage vows, "in sickness and in health," being played out. Little has been said, but these signposts' directions are clear.
Prayer is a mighty vehicle. Not long ago, I was talking with a friend who has been concerned about a relative who she feels drinks too much alcohol too often. She has prayed and prayed that the Lord would guide her kin to a better place. Her prayer was answered. The answer did not fit any script that she would have written. Her relative was picked up for DUI. There are many different ways my friend could have viewed this. Of course, she is terribly concerned. Of course, she dreads thinking of the legal consequences of the arrest. Not once in our conversation did she moan and wail. She did say we need to be careful about what we pray for because God answers prayer. She sees this as a wake-up call. She will suffer anxiety and fear concerning the paying of those consequences. But, she will not rail against God. She will pray for safekeeping for the one she loves. She exhibits trust and faith. There is no confusion about which direction her signpost points.
This past week I had occasion to meet with a group of women. Most of them are girls to me. They are the ages of my children. I watch them, and I learn. We gathered to show our support for one who is facing a very difficult marriage situation. Her husband and the father of her small children has decided that he does not want to do this marriage thing right now. Maybe, he is thinking he does not want to do it ever again. He has hurt people. He has. His signpost is askew, and has taken to pointing in the wrong direction. I am confident that God will never stop pursuing him and tugging on his heartstrings. I am confident of that, but at the moment, this hurting young man has left a wake of pain in his path. The poise and love and dignity that I see displayed in this young wife and mother takes my breath away. As we talked with her and prayed for her, her every concern was for this husband who no longer wants to be and her precious children. She displayed not an ounce of bitterness, resentment, nor anger at him. She is not denying the pain and fear and uncertainty. She is choosing the route of mercy and grace and hope and forgiveness. The direction in which her signpost points is clear-cut.
So, for all you people out there who struggle to do the right thing. For every husband who comes home every night, for every dad who does a job he does not particularly like to provide for his family, for every mother who works at home and away from home, for every teacher who struggles to teach life lessons to students, for every policeman who shows empathy for suffering souls who cross their paths, for every person who bears up under stress and chooses a path of joy and service and a "life is NOT all about me" attitude, for every person who grants others the right to make their own decisions without micro-managing, for every person who chooses the best route when a not-too-bad one would work, for every person who accepts and embraces the differences in people and still gracefully stands up for his or her beliefs in love, for every person who lives within the parameters of a well-proven value system, for every person whose word is their bond and who can be counted on to do what they say when they say it, thank you. You are steady signposts. You may feel under appreciated, but people are watching and following. Do not waver. We are counting on you.
blessings,
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