“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” (Matthew 12:38-42). How often do we ask for signs? How often do we miss the signs of God’s love,
of God’s care, of God’s protection in our lives?
I am reminded
of one of my mother’s blog posts about a certain “sign” that always made her hopeful
and happy. She was relating a story
about moving into a new home (Note: ‘Cappy’ was my father’s nickname):
“When Cappy and I moved into the house, it had a nice
"garden spot" out behind the garage. Cappy loved to plant gardens and
he really had a "green thumb" when it came to taking care of them. Anyway, he went out to this garden spot and
had to clean it up first. I helped Cappy
clear up the trash which took a couple of days and then we hauled it to the
garbage dump. So then Cappy got out his
trusty shovel and began to spade up the place. There were plenty of worms being turned out of
their homes in the process. He told me one
day that there was a blue jay that followed right behind him to eat the worms. The bird didn't seem at all afraid of Cappy
(who wouldn't have harmed a feather on him!), and every day for the few years
we lived at that house, he was out there. Every time Cappy went to the garden, there was
the blue jay! Cappy got sick while we
were there and eventually died while we lived there. I did not want to live in the house anymore,
and with the help of my sons, we moved over to my son Bob's house until I could
find an apartment or something!
I was feeling so blue and alone one day, when I looked
out the window of Bob’s house and there was a blue jay. It was as though he was saying, "I'll be
watching out for you!" After a few
weeks, we did find an apartment and one of the first birds I saw outside the
window was a blue jay. After a year,
Steve and Tom and I moved up to the Northern California foothills to live. Cappy and I had been looking for property up
there just before he died. So a new life
began!
I was pretty restless for the first few days,
wondering what was going to happen to us! I was standing in the kitchen, looking out
into the backyard and there was a blue jay! He just hopped around and kept looking up at
the window. I suddenly had a calmness
come over me and decided that everything was going to be alright!
A couple of years later, I found myself moving down to
Lodi. I had to go to work because the
boys were not getting any Social Security anymore and therefore I wasn't
getting any either. Within the first few
days of moving in, that darned blue jay was right outside my window! It isn't that I see those birds all the time,
but no matter the season or what kind of weather we have, a blue jay shows up. Kind of a "reassurance!" I guess God has been sending me them to me all
these years to remind me that I am not alone and that He is there for me!”
My mom was a
great example of faith for me. Her
example is probably the reason I’m a big believer in signs. I’m always on the lookout for signs that
might provide direction when I’m faced with an important decision, or just
looking for comfort. I’m always amazed
at the messages sent to me from God, often at just the right time. They only serve to strengthen my faith and
bolster my hope in a merciful God.
It's good to
consider the love and attention that our community of family and friends has
bestowed on us. That same community has
also probably, to a greater or lesser degree, provided for our security and
survival. God placed us in this family,
in this community, with these friends for our growth and nourishment. God is the root source of our particular
educational and job opportunities, even if we worked hard for them.
Likewise, it’s
good to reflect on all that God has given us in non-material ways: our talents,
the knowledge and insights we've gained, the skills we've learned, the maturity
that grew out of our sufferings, and so on. These blessings have lifted our spirits,
graced us with joy, provided healing, and filled us with a satisfying peace. Additionally, there is our beautiful and
diverse world. All of creation displays
the grandeur of God and provides us with fresh water, air, and nourishing
foods. God is the source of all this
richness and pleasure in our life.
What is the
ultimate intervention of God in human history?
Was it the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14)? The mercy God showed the people of Nineveh
because of their response to Jonah’s call for repentance (Jonah 3)? The wisdom of Solomon? The Queen of the South recognized it as God
acting through Solomon (1Kings:10). Was
it the healings and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as told throughout the New
Testament? Is it the incarnation of God
in our life in a very personal way every day?
All these
are powerful signs of God’s love, but for me, the latter is the most profound
answer. To think that little,
insignificant me is so loved, so cared for that God is personally present to me
always and wants a personal relationship with me. This is really humbling. It’s also very empowering. I have all the proof I need to know that I am
unconditionally loved and cared for, and the freedom to choose how to respond
to that love. So what is my appropriate
response? It’s not to ASK for a sign! Rather, I’m called to BE the sign of God’s
love to others.
I’m called
to share with everybody else I come across the love God has given me to use my
gifts for the betterment of my community and of the world.
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