Do you ask God for signs, or feel like He provides them when they are most needed? Laura shares.
“It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:2-3).
As Christmas day ended, my husband called for me to come into our family room. As I entered I saw him smiling, holding a potted geranium plant with two new pink flowerings.
Wait a minute–this was Western New York in the winter. How could a geranium have bloomed in these temperatures? I didn’t have a second thought about this logic, but rather I was joy-filled from the discovery.
Thirty-nine years earlier in December 1976, my brother discovered geraniums blooming in our laundry room. Dad had left the plants there over the winter.
Dad died December first that year; the geraniums bloomed soon after. Yearly, I place geraniums at the cemetery plot. This past November, I decided to dig up the geranium plant in my front yard and place it indoors for the winter.
Some would speculate the flower blooming was just a coincidence, but I look at it differently. Perhaps, rather, this is a sign from heaven.
We live with a bombardment of signs in our world. As I look out the window while at my favorite tea shop, I see more signs than perhaps necessary. These include Stop signs, One Way, and No U-turn–all traffic and merchant advertisements. We can easily become immune to all that surrounds us.
But what about God? Does Ge send us signs and if so, are we open to hearing or following the directives?
Perhaps we are praying and a strong thought comes to mind. Is that our thinking or a prompting from God?
As someone living with chronic illness, I feel fortunate in one sense–I have more time to pray, talk with God, and listen. Sometimes I pray while waiting for a doctor to enter the examination room or during a medical test. Other times I pray when falling asleep at night or during the afternoon when my body tells me it must rest.
Signs are a bit trickier for me and I am learning to try to listen more and become more observant to God’s messages. Perhaps the geraniums were God’s nudging to become more observant.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for creating the beautiful geraniums and other nature we enjoy. Help us to listen more to You and follow Your path. Amen.
About the author:
Laura Seil Ruszczyk lives in New York with her husband of 27 years and her three children. She is a retired elementary school counselor who currently runs a HopeKeepers group at her church. She has dysautonomia, the deregulation of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls such invisible functions as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and temperature control.
What are some signs from God you have experienced?
This is “Night Song” with Ellie Holcomb. I find those long nights that are filled with pain and sleeplessness to be one of the times I am most likely to ask God for a sign. It doesn’t even have to be immediate–it is okay if God wants to wait until morning to give me a sign. But I so want to start the day knowing that He has it all under control. We must surrender those deepest desires to nearly “demand” a sign, however. And when I do, that is when I find myself getting little surprises from God–signs that remind me of whatever it was I needed assured of. How about you? -Lisa
Laura I so enjoyed reading this devotional. I believe the geranium was a sign from God to. Yes I have had signs from God also some that I never ask for. One I recall asking for he kept showing it to me but I was over looking it going past it till I finally took time to check it out there it was all the while.
Laura, thank you for writing.
I have had that too…..the sign was there but I failed to notice it. Thankfully God is patient.
Blessings to you.
Laura
I call my unborn granddaughter Ladybug. Last week I was having a bad day with my RA and my daughter told her baby to pray for her Gramee. I did not know this but noticed my pup looking at something on the rug. Yep it was a lady bug crawling by in the dead of winter. God heard and I was comforted.
Such a beautiful story Laura of just how personal God’s care is for us. God knew what would be special for you and the memories you hold.
I know sometimes I’m so pre-occupied with other things that I may miss God’s signs, but I hope that as I can look back on those special signs I’ve seen in the past, I become more focused on looking for the next one, because I know God has given them before.
Blessings,
Fiona
How true about needing to listen more and be observant for signs and messages from God. It’s funny how just this past Sunday, our pastor mentioned about the significance of signs from God during his sermon. We were talking about prayer and the need to be quiet and listen for God’s answers at my Bible study group at a nursing home where I visit just yesterday and I wish I had received this before I went because I would have talked about this also. Next time I will. Thank you!
Laura, I love this experience of yours. Thank you for sharing it.
Do you remember the commercial for Baskin-Robins ice cream? The one that said, “My begonia bloomed!! Let’s go to Baskin-Robbins!” (Tee hee)
We thought we would have a brown Christmas, but the Lord brought us snow on Christmas Eve and then we had bright, beautiful days to enjoy it on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. That was a sign to me that God knows what I love and provided it just at the right time.
It seems to be so much easier to focus on the negatives when we have to deal with chronic illness and pain every day, but like many, I’m asking the Lord to show me his positive blessings and be thankful.
I believe I had one this morning. I have moved, and my precious kitty ran from the place I rehomed her at 6 months ago, I have seen her once since, and this morning I believe those were her footprints in the snow under my window. I miss her sooooo much……