Gotta Circle It First

Over the last 15 years I have developed a rather odd condition. As a general rule now, whenever I am going somewhere for the first time I end up circling the location before I arrive at my destination. The most recent occurence of this phenomenon happened while my kids and I were attempting to leave the parking lot of the DFW airport. Even though I was given directions to exit the airport and connect to the highway I needed to access, I still managed to circle the entire rental car area only to end up in the same spot at which I had started. I then realized I had not followed the directions I had been given. This scenario was a classic example of neglecting to pay close attention to detail.
I'm sure we are all guilty of only half-listening when someone is atttempting to convey a message. It's too easy to be distracted by other thoughts or concerns, so we tune out part of what is being said. Active listening is a skill that needs to be practiced and improved upon constantly. So don't develop my illness. Take the time to really listen to the messages in your life and avoid having to circle it first.

Seeing the Signs

I wonder if God gets frusterated with us when we continue to ask for guidance and signs to help us know if we are headed in the right direction, only to ignore those signs that appear to point in a direction we don't want to go. We, as humans, seem to desire a monumental sign before we are willing to accept that the direction we want to go isn't where we should be headed. I know I'm guilty of this. I'll ask for a sign to help me make a decision. Then something will happen that indicates I need to make some change that may be difficult or unpleasant, so I ignore the sign and write it off as coincidence. I can imagine God watching as he offers subtle signs for those who ask and becoming frusterated when we disregard the very thing we asked for. I wonder if He thinks, "Ok folks, I need to save the epic signs for the big messages. It's not realistic for me to part the Red Sea everytime someone needs a sign."
I truly believe that He puts signs along the way, but it's up to us to pay attention. Stop ignoring the Yield sign on your highway exit or the Deer Crossing sign you pass everyday on the way to work. You never know when that sign might be trying to tell you something important. ;o)