In a cemetery in New England, I watched a woman take a few small, smooth stones from her coat pocket and carefully position them atop a gravestone. That was the first time I saw one of those rock-balancing creations. Now, I notice them many places. In an isolated or otherwise undisturbed place with no one else in sight, we come upon an intriguing stack of stones. Traveling the coast of Maine recently with friends, we left a few of our own:

(Note that God’s rock creations were much more amazing than ours.)

For centuries, cairns have been built for many reasons: marking trails, ceremonial traditions, or meditative moments.  The Israelites piled up stone memorials to remember what God had done at various points in their journey to the Promised Land. Many we see today are simply a way of saying, “I was here.”

But these rock piles, whether humble or fantastic, have me thinking about how we leave something of ourselves in every life through which we walk.

This is certainly not a new idea; it’s just a reminder for today.

You’ve heard of the “leave no trace” ethic for outdoor environments? There is no such thing as “leave no trace” living. We touch every life through which we walk. As we go through each day–no matter how hum-drum, routine, or filled with drama–we build little rock piles that testify to our presence and touch in others’ lives.

We are children of God, and our lives belong to Him. What do the cairns we leave behind us say about the One we serve? Do they mark the trail to the One who gave us a new life? Do they proclaim, “God has been at work here; this is His handiwork”?

“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8.

Think about the fruits of the Spirit. How many of those fruits involve relationships and our interaction with others? Everyone single one of them, I think!

Even things we might think are unimportant and inconsequential reflect who we are and whose we are. To switch to a different metaphor, Jesus said we’re to be the salt of the earth. (I find it interesting that even those who have no knowledge of Jesus’ teaching use this phrase and recognize its meaning.) Ever think about it that salt is made up of tiny, tiny particles? And just a few of those crystals can change the flavor of food, add length of life to something preserved, or create a chemical reaction much bigger than the few grains themselves.

We do the same. We will add some kind of flavor to the life of everyone we meet today. We’ve all had it happen—a small gesture or word from someone else changes our day. Whether we want to or not, whether we’re conscious of it or not, we leave a mark on every other life we meet.  

Bear with me, here. Writer that I am, I seek the perfect word—and I’m not certain that “mark” is the best word for that last sentence. So I check my thesaurus. Other possibilities include stain, smear, and blotch. Or maybe evidence, proof, sign, and indication.

Uh-oh. Will the little grains of salt I sprinkle into lives today leave stains, smears, and blotches on the hearts and spirits of others? Or are they evidence, proof, and a sign of Whose I am?

Sing for joy, all you who rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

We have been ransomed from slavery, the price has been paid for our freedom.

And now we live a life birthed and sustained by the Spirit of God, a life that will not fade and wither away but is built on the eternal word of God.

We do not walk through our years on earth alone. He comes to those who belong to Him and makes His home with them. He will never leave us. Unfailing love surrounds us.

Wherever our journey takes us, His hand guides us and His strength supports us. He leads us to green pastures and still waters, and holds us securely even through the valley of the shadow of death.

His power works in us, a power so great that it raises from the dead. Those who trust in Him are like trees by the water; they do not fear the heat or long drought, their leaves are always green, and they never stop producing fruit.

The fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain.

O God, you are my God;
   I earnestly search for you.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
   How I praise You !
Because You are my helper,
  I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

**

From: Psalm 61:5; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:23; John 14:23; Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 32:10; Psalm 139:10; Psalm 23:2,4; Ephesians 1:19-20; Jeremiah 17:8; Proverbs 14:27; Psalm 63:1,3,7.

A beautiful summer morning. Awoke soon after five, and, on a whim, decided to drive twenty miles to take a photograph for today’s blog post.

I’d seen the sign a few days ago as I drove through the village. One of those portable, yellow signs in black frames that you can rent and set on your sidewalk or at the end of your driveway to advertise anything from a garage sale to someone’s birthday. My photographer friend has told me that getting a good picture is more likely in early morning light than when the sun is high overhead. So at 6:00 a.m., off I went.

The sign was still on the sidewalk in front of the church, but the black letters were gone…just a blank yellow rectangle stared at me and asked why in the world I drove all that way just for a photo. At that point, I wondered, too, why I had bothered.

But the words I had seen earlier this week had stayed with me. The sign had read:

T.G.I.F.

Today, God Is First

Great idea for a blog, right? We all need to stick a T.G.I.F. reminder up on our bathroom mirror or over our kitchen sink. Jesus said the greatest, Number 1 commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. That’s everything I’ve got! Is God my passion, my heart and soul and the one thing that colors my perspective on everything I think about? When I’m working on a project I’m passionate about, other things are ignored–dirty dishes, dusty house, beautiful day outside, maybe even social events I had planned on–my passion for a project can put all those things in a secondary place. Is my passion, my thirst for God the most important thing in my life?

But the words were gone, the sign was blank, and now my photo was impossible. All the thoughts I’d been arranging for this post started slipping away, too.

As I drove the twenty miles home thinking about that sign, I realized the vanished message had actually sent me a stronger reminder. Just as those black letters had so quickly disappeared, so does my own resolve that T.G.I.F.

How often I begin my day determined that T.G.I.F., but then all kinds of other things crowd into my heart and soul and mind; and, somehow, I let that T.G.I.F. slip away. My desire to give my heart and soul and mind to Him and Him alone can dissolve and drift away as easily as black letters are removed from a portable sign. I lose sight of that Number 1 commandment that should be guiding my entire day and I’m tossed about and sent off course. Father, forgive my distraction and wandering!

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me (Ps. 51:10 NLT). The NIV uses the phrase “a steadfast spirit.” I want that morning T.G.I.F. to take me through the entire day, all day, every day. I want a clean heart, a steadfast spirit that is not detoured by events and circumstances of the day. I want to live through all of today guided by a heart and soul and mind that is devoted to the one I call Lord.

Yet one more lesson from the yellow signs:

At about mile 13 of the 20-mile drive home, these thoughts were coming into focus and I decided what I really needed for this new post was a photo of a blank yellow sign. So I started looking. (No! I was not going to backtrack 13 miles!)

Do you realize how many yellow signs are out there? They’re everywhere. Hardwood Furniture for Sale. Fresh Produce. Sale on Firewood. Huge Garage Sale. But I didn’t find one more blank sign. Photography foiled again.

Lesson: We all have our signs out that proclaim what we’re about. Maybe it’s our business. Maybe it’s our social lives. Maybe it’s dollars. Maybe it’s the things we own. Maybe our sign simply spells out our name, in BIG BOLD letters.

Or maybe our sign says T.G.I.F.

Spirit, give us steadfast hearts.