In the cold light of a new day, everything seems vulnerable. I am not used to the cold. Dealing with it is consuming far more energy than I remember. It feels like I am in a battle, and the odds are stacked against me. In my struggle to get things together, a fleeting image from a few weeks ago keeps returning. The small sign was a warning to all not to dig. The reasons were cryptic and yet clear; frogs depended on your action.
I love the idea that there could be cryptic signs in my life that were here to protect. They could be simple, direct, and easy to overlook. The elements, autumn leaves in one case, often work against success. It is easy to miss the calls to action that protect the innocent and vulnerable.
We are at risk. I may not always see it; my ignorance wraps me in a comforting blanket of assurance. The risks can be immediate or distant. Whatever the case might be in your life, I know that I tend to think I am at the edge of my existence, only to discover the risks are darker than I imagined. Even as I recognise the dangers in my life, I hear the warning left across the generations. “In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through – all that bloodshed!” (Hebrews 12.4)
Life offers us signs. One may not always know who to give the credit to. The simple reminder of no digging was left a long time ago by unknown individuals. I doubt anyone is paying attention, especially since the sign is fastened on a concrete walkway. As I look and listen, I discover Life’s whispers everywhere. I see them in action. I hear their warnings and invitations. Some come quietly on the wind. Others dominate my senses. The words, images, and voices are present in life – as loud and clear as I am willing to let them be.
What happens next is my choice.
