In response to yesterday’s reflection, a friend wrote the following and suggested that I post my response. “Sorry but I'm feeling rather signless now and have for some time. Maybe you can give us some thoughts on rediscovering signs or seeing them.”
Thank you for your precious candor. Your sincerity and honesty is refreshing if only to remind me to measure my own. To answer your question my first thought is that the roadblock, flat tire or detour is the first sign. By it God is saying that His plan for us, at least for the present, is not in the direction we are going. It could be that He ultimately intends that we wind up there but His wisdom dictates that a delay is necessary; Joseph story is a great example. Sometimes God causes detours, sometimes we cause them. But both are well within the scope of His gracious dealings in us and for us. One young lady asked me why God had allowed her to fail her nursing entrance exam two times in a row since she believes that He led her to pursue nursing. I reminded her that her detour might be due the fact that she did not pay attention to her studies in high school. A friend of mine once said that ten miles out is often ten miles back. But to get back to your question. I think it is important when we encounter a road block that we reaffirm our desire for God's will and use the delay to humbly allow Him to search out any harmful ways in us. I also think it is important to keep moving. Which direction? Well, when we are surrendered, at lease to the best of our knowledge, it probably doesn't matter. God can always put up another road block if necessary and will do so if we expressly ask Him to and i mean ask Him in the spirit of discovering His will. As for the signs, they usually pop up along the way. When they do, whether we recognize them or not, the road we are traveling tends to hedge us one way or another.
Just me trying to be honest with God.
