Signs of Life

A few years ago, I was leading a bible study in the auditorium of our church. About halfway through the study, we began hearing the sounds of children playing outside, and we assumed the teachers must have wrapped up their study early and brought them into the sunshine for some game time. As I was telling our adult group how sweet the sound of children laughing and playing was, a loud crash was heard as shattered window glass fell onto the sanctuary floor and the playful sounds from children grew deafeningly silent. For what seemed like an hour but was only actually about five seconds, a silence hovered over that room of adults. Not wanting the first word uttered to be one of negativity, I broke the silence with these words: You know folks, we prayed for the Lord to give us a group of children to love and teach, and that shattered glass represents an answer to that prayer! I’m glad the kids are here where they can learn about Jesus, and not out and about looking for trouble. That broken window is a sign of life! 

Thankfully, that adult group understood the reality of the situation. The truth is that wherever life is present, things get torn up, go wrong, etc. It is only when things are dead and/or stagnant that a picture-perfect scenario is visible. Let me share a few examples to highlight what I mean, and then you can determine whether or not you agree with my perception…

Our home is where we live. There is evidence of the fact that people live there all over the place. We’re not slobs. We’re not neat freaks either. When you visit our house, you will see a pair of shoes on the floor by the door. You will see a dirty dish still in the sink. You will see mail on the table that is yet to be sorted through. It’s not a mess; it’s just signs of life!

My boat was purchased for fishing. I don’t abuse it, but I don’t baby it either. It gets dirty. It gets scratched by stumps and limbs. It has coffee stains on the carpet and sunflower seed hulls in the corners. It has torn up plastic baits on the deck and dried up fish slime around the livewell. It’s not mistreated; it’s just used and bears signs of life!

My bible was given to me by the church that ordained me as a minister. It has been highlighted, written in, toted all over the place, and flipped through a bazillion times. The edges are worn and a few pages are torn. It hasn’t been mistreated. It has been used, and it clearly displays signs of life.

Example after example could follow, but I think you get my point. Life is messy. Life includes bumps, bruises, and boo-boos. Life leaves scars and life leaves evidence of the fact that it has been there. I suppose that if we would take a look back over the rough patches that we’ve been through in our lives, we would see that if it hadn’t been for those times, we would be less than the person that we are today. Romans 8:28 is dead on when it declares that God causes all things to work together for good… “All things” even includes life’s messy moments. The picture at the top of this post is of our wood stove in our home. It’s dusty which reveals the fact that is gets used. And if you look closely, you’ll see a tiny hand print at the bottom of it. That’s the print of our granddaughter’s hand. In all of her exploration of her big one-year-old world, she left a sign of life for us in the dust!

As life rolls by and messes happen, try to refrain from the sometimes typical gripes and groanings that accompany life’s mishaps. Instead, try to thank God for giving you a sign of life along the journey. When you miss the big fish that hits your bait – at least it’s a sign of life! When  you shoot over the back of that big buck – at least it’s a sign of life! When the kids and grand-kids leave a mess – at least it’s a sign of life! Now, whether on a lake or stream, your house or mine, or somewhere in-between, surrounded by a multitude of signs of life – I’ll see you in the Great Outdoors!