Looking for a Sign

I have often pondered a simple question: Why is it called road construction? Doesn’t construction denote the building up of things? It seems that when I see a sign that claims road construction ahead it is more like road “destruction.” The road is not being built, but it is being destroyed.
I was on my way back home from a trip to Missouri. I was entering into a long stretch of road “destruction,” when I came across a confusing sign. The sign read, “Kansas closed exit at Ohio.” A couple of things went through my mind. “I knew the state was having some problems but to close it, that’s a new concept.”
“Has science progressed as far as Star Trek so now we have a transporter that can reach across a couple of states and that is how we are to get into Kansas?”
“What’s with all this road destruction, can’t they get it right the first time?”
“Where are the protesters?”
“Cities should not have roads named after states.”
Most of the times signs are very helpful. They will warn you about deer, railroad crossings, how far it is to the next town and even road destruction. Rarely are road signs misleading.
Today there are many misleading signs. Recently, there has been an increased interest in Nostradamus, the Mayan calendar, and the year 2012.
It is human nature to look for signs. We search for signs to see if these prophecies or prophets are correct. We look at mundane things and make claims that we are creeping towards the end of the world. When these prophecies do not come true, we just move on to the next prophecy. There have been many cults that have predicted the end of the world, only to fall very short. Many times, once a date has been established, and that date passes, an excuse is given and then a revision to the original date is given. Even Christians have fallen victim to these end time prophecies.
Instead of looking towards the end, we should look back to the beginning. About 700 years before Jesus was born, a sign was given to the people, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 NIV)
This is one sign that is often overlooked. Instead of chasing signs that are not there, we should be focused on the one that is there. Jesus was born to redeem the people for their sins and to reconcile humanity to the Father in heaven. He was born exactly as the prophet had stated many years before.
Instead of looking for a sign, look to the Son.

Minor Nuisance - Major Inconvenience

There was a time that one of my jobs was sending me on trips throughout the Midwest. One of these trips was to Monett Missouri. While my activities and such were routine, it was the driving that was interesting.
One time I was driving through Kansas City. I had turned onto 435N and immediately saw a sign stretching over the interstate. It read, “Right Lane Closed at Antioch, 10 miles.”
It this point, there were five lanes, and I was in the right lane. I eased over into the next lane content with my foresight to go ahead and move.
Five miles later, I saw another sign somewhat similar as the first one, but a little change. It read, “Antioch exits closed, 5 miles.” Now there were signs showing that the left lane would also be closed. While my math is fuzzy at times, I knew that in five miles the interstate would be down to three lanes. I then eased into the center lane knowing that I had five miles before we hit the construction.
Three miles later, another sign gave the same warning, “Antioch exits closed, 2 miles.” Along the shoulder of the interstate there were signs prompting the traffic to merge within the next two miles. As soon as I passed the sign, I came to a complete stop.
After a couple of minutes, the traffic moved forward about thirty feet and stopped again. My fear was that there was a wreck causing the problems. It took forty-five minutes to drive the next two miles. When I got to the construction, I was able to see the problem. Fortunately, it was not a wreck; it was people not heeding the warning signs and trying to squeeze in at the last minute. What began as a minor nuisance became a major inconvenience.
How many times have you done something like that? The warning signs are before you. There is plenty of time to make the change, but through stubbornness or pride, refuse. Then what could have been a minor nuisance becomes a major inconvenience.
We have been given the road signs. Warnings to follow the right path and to be prepared for adversity. These road signs are found in the Bible. These commands are not a nuisance and are far from being burdensome, “Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3 NLT)
There are times when our own actions cause other people to become inconvenienced. Whether it is the highway incident, slacking off at work, or an angry outburst at an unsuspecting cashier, our own actions affect other people. Positive or negative, what we do has impact upon the actions and reactions of other people. Therefore, we need to be cognizant of what we are doing and how it will affect others.
If we follow the road signs and make the change before we are forced to, we may have minor nuisances but we can avoid the major inconveniences.