The following is part of a book I would like to publish someday. It’s too long to blog as one post so I’m breaking it up section by section.  Each section can be read as a stand-alone, and hopefully my analogies will provide food for thought as well as encouragement to keep on going no matter where you find yourself in life.  I’ve added links  at the end to the previous sections to make them easier to find should you want to read them. Oh, and all photos were taken by me and are untouched other than cropping when necessary. God’s creation is so awesome just the way it is!

Red Flags

Sometimes after that long walk towards the beach, my plan to dive into the cool water is crushed when I see that red flag.

Red flags mean danger, and that’s exactly what this flag is telling me. The water is dangerous right now. Wait for a better day. Sometimes the danger is evident, such as a group of large sharks swimming just off shore. But other times the danger is hidden, like an undertow. I could ignore the flag and go in “just enough to cool off” which may or may not end in disaster. However, to keep safe, I can respect that the flag is there for a reason and choose to obey it. Especially when there is a double red flag!

There are dangers in life too. God is good at putting up red flags in our lives, sending us warnings of dangers we may or may not see.  A check in our spirit, advice/comments from friends or family, scripture, and dreams are the most familiar. But God can and does use even unexpected methods to get our attention such as traffic delays giving us time to think, lost keys keeping us from going somewhere, words that pop out at us on billboards, a quote in a totally nonspiritual, unrelated book we’re reading, and random emails with titles that go right to the heart. The only questions are if we are paying attention, and if we choose to listen.

But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm. Proverbs 1:33

So, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 3:7-8

Previous sections:

Section 1: The Path