I saw this sign in a bathroom in Beijing:
We were in a nice hotel, doing a bathroom stop—as public restrooms are not always the easiest to find in downtown Beijing. While I understand why a hotel might want to discourage people from using their bathroom as a changing room, when I read it, I was reminded how Eden Lost our world is.
Eden Lost declares some parts of our stories are untouchable for God to reach in and influence, change, redeem, or offer His presence. This is not a changing area.
Eden, however, would have signs with the opposite message! God has hung this sign on your life, over your circumstances, in your messy middle:
Please be informed that this is a changing area.
This is a changing area.
I want to print this sign off and hang it on my wall. Better yet, I want to paper the walls of my heart and mind with it. How helpful to see this sign the day after I shared with you Kimberlee’s book The Circle of Seasons and an invitation to join in reading it over the course of the year.
A friend contacted me wanting to double the offer on the books for the giveaway. Eight of your names were drawn and you’ve been contacted that you won!
I was moved at the response. Twenty-four of you left comments. And I don’t believe it was just because of a free book (though, I know it helped!). Honestly, I believe it’s because you too long to be anchored in a deeper story than Black Friday, Valentine’s Day, even, dare I say it, Pi Day.
We want to be invested in stories that matter. Like this one. Before I headed to China, my friend Michelle texted me: “So the college I work at—Northwestern College—is doing Operation Christmas Child. I shared your post and they are ramping up the boy boxes. They are putting out a challenge for the guy dorms to pack as many as they can. Yay for boys.”
Yesterday she sent me this:
“Most of our 100 boxes is for boys. The big stack of boxes is for boys ages 10-14. Majority of our boxes are for boys.”
Please be informed that this is a changing area.
God hangs this sign over your heart. And then it hangs over the boys.
This sign is hung again and again.
If you didn’t win a book, I still have good news for you. Kimberlee has extended the offer of her book to you for $5. She said, “Just shoot me an email with your mailing address, the number of copies you want, and to whom you’d like them inscribed, and I’ll get them in the mail to you. You’ll have them in plenty of time to read the Advent chapter before the season begins on November 29.”
I’m still a bit fuzzy in the brain from jet lag, so I haven’t made a plan yet. I’ll work on how we’ll get started this weekend and let you know early next week.
Know why I’d like you to leave a comment on this post? It’s not because I love comments (even though I do), it’s because God used that sign as an invitation to me to slow down and reflect on my life. He’d like to do it for you too.
Where could you use the Eden Sign in your life right now?
