The Man With the Sign

When I first saw him, he pulled his white poster board sign out of his car and tucked it under his arm.  And, thus armed, he started toward the corner.  I figured another "Vote for Me" sign was about to be added to the collection on the edge of the highway.  I suppose I was wrong, but then again, maybe not.  As I drove out of the parking lot and started down the street, I saw him again on the corner with his hand made sign held high above his head.  It was a busy intersection.  As the traffic light changed, cars came at him from a different direction and with each changing of the light, he turned so the writing on his sign could not be missed.

 

"You choose Jesus Christ or Satan" was handwritten on the sign.  Jesus Christ was written in red as if it was taken directly from one of those red letter Bibles that lift up the sayings of Jesus.  As I drew closer, I noticed him getting a few waves and a honk or two.  I wondered what it was that drove him out there in such a public place doing something which surely made ridicule a possibility.   The only conclusion I could reach was that somewhere in his spirit, he sensed this public act of witness was something God was calling him to do.  And while his act was not something I could see myself doing, one should never say never. 

 

The truth is we never know exactly what it is that God might call us to do.  And, of course, another truth is that any believer is going to find himself or herself sensing God's call to be about certain things which may well be out of their comfort zone.  It could be holding up a sign at a busy intersection, or serving in a homeless shelter, or going to someone and asking for forgiveness.  When the call to be about something is heard, we then, like the man at the intersection, must decide how important it is  to do God's bidding.