Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.
Most of us look for signs throughout life,
but what if the sign is all crazy talk?
I drive by it almost everyday.
The property that captures every passerbyers attention.
It's a residential property
on a highly trafficked road.
It is a junkyard where a lawn should be.
There are so many things stacked on the lawn
that you can barely see the house.
I know that one man's junk is another man's treasure.
If that is the case,
then call this owner rich beyond his wildest dreams.
Let's start with appliances.
washers and dryers circa 1980?
Oh, he has them.... stacked on top of each other,
and no, I am not talking about designed stackable units.
How about the magical world of the abandoned refrigerator?
Plenty of them too.
At least the safety for the children of the neighborhood has been considered.....
by thoughtfully having the doors removed from each of them.
Those doors can be found scattered throughout the property.
Now if we could just protect our children from the rodents hiding underneath them.......
Stoves
gas? electric? coal? wood?
He has them all.
Too bad none of them work,
which makes them all 100% eco-friendly.
Need a gas grill that is rusted out???
Oh, they are a dime a dozen.....
well, maybe thats a bit extreme,
lets go with twelve for a dollar.
That includes the snakes
that are likely coiled up inside them.
Lawn mowers.
Now that is something that you just can't get enough of........
Somewhat ironic, considering there is so much junk on the yard
that the grass never had a chance.
Let's talk lawn ornaments.......
gnomes, ducks, squirrels, dutchmen, windmills,
butterflies, leprachauns, lawn orbs,
and my personal favorite....
the lady bent over with her rear end that looks like a mushroom.
Nothing says "bring on spring" more than that.
All there.
Now if we just had a lawn.
And let's not forget who is watching over us,
or in this case, from the underside of a rusted out hot water heater.....
Angels,
all kinds, sizes, and shapes.
Or the Ten Commandments tablets hanging from an old mattress frame.
Feel the blessing......
Rusted advertising` signs?
just know that the Pepsi Generation is to the left,
and the Coca-cola peeps to the right,
and never the twain shall meet,
unless its under the Budweiser sign in the middle.
Assuming the children don't get trapped inside any of the rusted appliances,
there's plenty for the little tykes to do.....
Toy tractors,
large stuffed animals
(Yes, they have been sitting out in the elements for years....)
and perhaps the gem that captures any child's fancy......
the horsie from the abandoned carnival carousel.
Now it's not all work for the adults either.
When it's time to rest, there are several options.....
Try the rusted exterior table & chairs with a cup of tea
as you overlook the remains of a 1960's jeep.
If it's comfort you want,
choose from a variety of vinyl car seats
with enough rips in them to harbor a colony of both poisonous and non-poisonous mammals.
But if it is style that you seek, look no further.
Rest on a bathtub that has the side cut out
to create a stylish outdoor sofa
complete with throw pillows.
Nothing says style like converted bathroom appliances.
Perhaps the gem of the junkyard though
is the herd of plastic deer
which majestically look up through the collection of condemned dishwashers up to the hills,
I especially favor the deer that has a ceramic turtle on its back.
But back to the sign.
On the side of a dilapidated pickup truck is a business sign that says.......
"Clean Up and Out"
I'm not quite sure what the business is,
but whatever it is, it is anything but clean.
Most of us look for signs in life,
but what if the signs don't make any sense?
Here are some other senseless signs that I have encountered......
Garbage Only, No Trash
10 hour Parking 10am-6pm
Caution! Water On Road During Rain
Not A Through Street.....Evacuation Route
Genuine Fake Watches
No Pets Allowed...All Pets Must Be On Leash
and my personal favorite found poolside......
Do Not Breathe Under Water
Jesus spoke of many signs that would usher in His second coming.
Here are a few of them......
Wars, famine, false prophets,, earthquakes
(Matthew Ch 24)
Scoffers of God, Those who reject God's truth
(II Peter Ch 3)
The coming of an anti-Christ
(I John 2)
Signs in the moon, sun, and stars,
nations in anguish,
the roaring and tossing of the seas,
terror that causes people to faint
(Luke Ch 21)
Do any of these signs make sense to you?
Or does it sound like crazy talk?
Make it a bit more personal.... declining moral conditions
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents,
unbgrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control,
brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
(II Timothy Ch 3)
and Timothy is talking only about religious people in this context!
Still sound crazy?
Perhaps, or maybe crazy enough to be true.
Crazy enough to believe that these things must happen
before we get to a world where craziness is banished,
the new heaven and new earth,
restored to God's intentions.
I might be crazy,
but I believe in crazy signs,
that is, when they are announced by the Lord of the universe.
Now excuse me,
I need to get back and see how much the junkman wants
for the deer with the turtle riding his back.......
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