Do You Believe in Signs?

Have you ever had to make a decision in life - a really big decision - when you've prayed to God, "Please just give me a sign, any sign, so that I know what to do?"

Decisions are tough, especially when what we ultimately decide will not just affect our lives, but the lives of those whom we love dearly.

There are all sorts of signs throughout life - rusted ones and shiny ones. And it's our job to interpret which signs to obey. But how do we know if we are paying attention to the correct ones?

Recently, I was faced with a difficult decision to pursue an incredible teaching opportunity at another school.

I wondered why God would even present this opportunity to me. Everything in our lives was perfectly planned. I was already teaching at a school I loved - the school I attended as a child. Our boys were attending this same school, and they loved it. Our plan was to have all three of them graduate from there, while I continued to be present in their lives on campus, teaching about what I am most passionate - English.

But, as Woody Allen once said, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."

If I followed the shiny signs - the ones that said, "Keep Going" - the ones that always seem to be pointing to the easier route - then my decision would have been easy. I would have followed what seemed comfortable to me. After all, I have been teaching for ten years. Why would I start over at this point in my life?

But as my heart began to stir, and the shiny signs became a little bit unclear, I knew that it was time to take a step out of my comfort zone and to at least open my heart to the possibility of a new path in life.

This new opportunity would allow me to teach both English and history - a passion newly discovered just last summer, after studying in Boston with the organization - "Facing History and Ourselves."

To have the support to implement the teachings of "Facing History" in the classroom throughout the entire year would be an incredible opportunity, not only for me, but for the students whose eyes would be open to new perspectives as they connected with history and literature in a way that made the past relatable and interesting. 

I kept my heart and my eyes open and spent time deep in prayer, asking for guidance and direction, as I tried to make a decision - one that would ultimately affect my entire family. 

As a result, things became clearer to me. It only took a little squinting to make out what those rusted signs were saying. 

What were the signs, you ask? Oh, there were many. 

From touring the new school and literally bumping into my husband's close childhood friend (who we discovered is a coach at the new school) - to a sermon given by my pastor, where he spoke of the disciples who tried to catch fish with their nets on one side of the boat. He concluded the sermon with the following words:

"Try the other side. Cast your net in some other area...in some other place. Try something else, something new, something different."

I paid attention to detail over the last couple months, waiting for something that would help me feel confident in whatever decision I ultimately chose. I opened my heart, instead of guarding it. 

In doing this, I became confident in my decision to leave what I know and to pursue an opportunity that would allow me to grow. 

The hardest part in making this decision has been watching our three boys experience so much sadness about the move. They love their current school, and they don't want to leave their friends. 

But ever so slowly, they are getting used to the idea of moving, as they know what amazing opportunities lie ahead. Even our 5-year-old who pouted all the way to a recent visit to the new school, returned home with a new bear that he holds onto tightly every night - a bear he so fittingly named, "Benji."

Maybe you believe in signs. Maybe you don't. It really doesn't matter. What matters is that you feel confident in whatever decisions you make throughout life. Have faith and know that you are not alone in this. God is right by your side. 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-"The Road Not Taken"

By Robert Frost