I'll never forget my big sister telling me once, "I know God loves me when I get a green arrow." You see, she hates to drive. I mean HATES. And even more than her loathing for general automotive operations, she hates left hand turns. She used to detour around the city making right hand turns until she finally reached her destination. But inevitably, she has to take a left turn. And when she did, she saw God in that glowing green light directing her safely across the intersection, like God saying, "Go baby, go! I got this. Traffic is stopped just for you." **Disclaimer: This statement was made several years ago. Since then, my sister's driving has improved. Her loathe has since decreased to a general dislike, but the lessons I learned stuck with me.**
Through this, I learned several key pieces of information:
1. We all have out own "left turns." These are the things we try to avoid, sometimes going way out of the way so we don't have to face them. They are people, problems, and situations we can't stand to think about, let alone approach. But eventually, we have to make the "dreaded left turn." In the midst of all anxiety, we just have to do it.
2. Green arrows are God's graces. When we finally decide to let our guard down, be vulnerable, and face our fears, God can step in with that precious green arrow. By avoiding it all together, we never give God the chance to be God. We have to make the first step, and then let God guide us safely through the intersection.
3. We don't always get the green arrow. In those most difficult times when all we want is the go ahead to coast right through, sometimes we have to wait, think, consider, judge and trust not only God, but ourselves. And although we don't always get the green arrow, we ALWAYS get God.
4. God is in the little things. For my sister, it was the green arrow. For me, it is the way the air smells right before the rain, the way the sun shines through the clouds, and laughter, dear sweet laughter!
I pray I never get so caught up in the big things that I miss these little things. And I pray you find your little things that continually bring you back to God. I pray you dwell in them and savor them. There are so many out there.
Your green arrows are waiting. Go find them. Go find God. I promise, He's looking for you too.
