First Baptist Church of Herndon

A Disconcerting Sign

Linda Soller | Jul 26, 2021

It was a typical Wednesday. I was up early and out the door to do my grocery shopping. Car parked, I made my way to the entrance when I saw it, a disconcerting sign. Basically, it said forgive our dust we are going through a major renovation. Items may be moved multiple times, and we thank you for your patience and loyalty. That’s the short version. Why? Why did they need to renovate again? Seems like yesterday they played musical chairs with the merchandise. This was very unsettling to me. Once inside I didn’t see any signs of a renovation. So, I calmed down a bit. The following Wednesday things had begun to move. There was a space where baking supplies had been, and the baking supplies were holding a spot where miscellaneous merchandise used to sit. This was a disconcerting sign of what was to come. I would have to allow more time to shop, and my list would not align with the items on the shelves. Time to mentally prepare for the temporary chaos.

This is a true story and for some of you I’m sure you are thinking why would such a thing upset this crazy lady. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it bothered me. In life we often come up against things which challenge our status quo. When our comfort zone is not working, we can feel off balanced, or concerned. For a planner like me my timing is thrown off. Sometimes it’s a literal sign telling us something we would rather not hear, and other times the sign is what we observe. An uptick in the COVID cases or deaths, the increase in gun violence, the unprofessional hostilities among elected officials, and so on. When we see the sign, we need to pause. We need to consider why we are reacting as we are and what we need to do about it. The signs we see proclaim change. Some changes are good and just, while others are not. As Christians we need to identify how we are feeling, compare it to how we know God wants us to feel, and adjust. A disconcerting sign triggers a reaction within you, what it inspires you to do outwardly is the key.

Be the difference in the world! :o)