By Gina Caswell Kelly
This morning, as I got to town, the sun was directly in my eyes. As I sat at a light, the sun was just right behind the light. It was a struggle to see if the turn left light had changed or not. I saw the red arrow go away, so I just assumed the green arrow was there! I slowly and cautiously made my turn, even though I never really saw the green arrow. Who knows? I might have just ran a red light! But no one hit me and the car behind me followed me.
Sometimes, the things of life blind us to the arrows God sends to direct us. We are often too busy to take the time to listen or watch for how God might be working in us or around us. Busy is not bad in itself. We all need to be busy. But our “busyness” should never block out our time for God. So often, we let time with God slide, and then we wonder why our decisions, made without Him, are going so badly.
We get so busy at times, we miss the sweet blessings of the day. All God’s blessings in our lives do not have to be hugely magnificent. Sometimes they are just the gentle push of your dog against your leg because he wants you to pet him. Sometimes, they are just the smile of someone you don’t even know, but with whom you made eye contact.
I had an occasion this week where I had to make the choice to be a blessing or continue to be blinded by distractions, and add to a person’s already bad day. I was at a store and waiting in line for a checker. We pushed the button to call the checker, and no one came. I finally went to find someone and it was not her job to check. But she did go find someone. Then we could hear them arguing about whose turn it was. Finally a girl slowly approaches the check out line with a horribly mad look on her face. She was being a bit short with the man in front of me. I had a choice to make. I told her I needed to go to the car really quickly and left my stuff there. I keep a stash of crosses, and little Jesus figures in my car. I returned with a cross in my pocket. When she finished my stuff, I handed her a cross that said, “Jesus is the light.” I told her it seemed like her day was not going well. She just looked dumfounded for a minute at that cross. Then she smiled the biggest smile. She thanked me and I walked away, I turned back to look at her and she was just standing there staring at the cross.
I could have been one more bad part of her day, or I could follow the green arrow Jesus was showing me. I could have missed that green arrow, by being blinded by the fact that she was slowing everyone’s day down. Or I could pay attention to what the Holy Spirit was nudging me to do.
Do not let the world blind you to the direction God wants to take you. It will make a difference!
