Signs

I believe in signs. Our world, our environ, our faith, the life through which we pass tries to provide messages about our lives and direction. I’ve recently experienced 2 examples:

Example #1: It’s been a bit hectic personally and professionally, time has been at a premium. I will clarify that it has been totally self induced. Relaxing holiday time off, work/fun travel, and an international dream trip to Kilimanjaro have me scrambling throughout my day. Well I received a call from a Coralville police officer yesterday. I apparently drove past a stopped school bus on a three lane (2 the direction I was driving, one the other) road. I wasn’t very happy, especially when I found out that is a mandatory citation, a mandatory court appearance, and likely a several hundred dollar fine. When I got home at 9:30pm from another long work day frustrated by this situation and the time and money it would cost me, Sheila was watching Rock Center. The story was about texting while driving laws and was sharing the story of a family’s loss due to the carelessness of texting in a vehicle.

The call, the ticket, the punishment of not only money but time(a resource which is more scarce for me many times than money), and the story of the dangers of distracted driving. I think it all means I need to slow down a bit and pay attention to what I’m doing, especially in a car. And just for clarification I DO NOT text and drive. A sign nonetheless.

Example #2: I’ve been planning/discussing/researching a mountain biking trip with a friend and neighbor. We’ve gone back and forth on when and how (self supported or supported, guided or non-guided). We want to go on the 142 mile Kokopelli trail from Fruita, CO to Moab, UT but weren’t sure if the timing, location would match with schedules and family commitments. Blah, blah, blah, a bunch of talking and not much action. Hell, I don’t even have a mountain bike!

This weekend I was reading a blog I enjoy and of course there was the obligatory new year’s resolution topics. But this article was different, instead urging making plans, not resolutions. It shared a story of a man who took action every new year: booking a flight, scheduling a class, acquiring gear needed for the next adventure. Then this was next:

“So are we dreaming, or are we making plans? There’s a big difference between broadcasting something about someday riding the Kokopelli Trail and sending one close friend a rough itinerary and asking, What are you doing the weekend of April 20th?”

Wow, that looks like a sign. So I wrote my buddy an email that said, “A sign. See link. What are you doing April 25-28?.” And you know what, we’ve got ourselves a little mountain bike trip cooked up!

Life is hectic and harried, it is easy to get on the treadmill of life and lose control and awareness of where you are going, what you are doing, those you are impacting. But our world has a beautiful way of communicating with us, and we only need to be aware and “listen”. What is our world saying to you?