Red Light, Green Light

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care (Matthew 10:29, NIV).

I used to love playing red light, green light in our yard as a kid. You had to pay attention to the directions. Red light meant you stopped, and green light meant you could go. The winner was whoever crossed the finish line without getting caught still moving after the leader said “red light”, because that meant you had to move back to the starting line. Simple, but always so fun.

I like to use these instructions of red light, green light now when I’m working with patients. Except in this case, there is no running involved. Ha! Often it’s when I’m doing an assessment or stretching someone who has had surgery. I throw in a yellow light option, too, because it allows them to give me a warning that I’m approaching the point at which they need me to stop.

This concept came to mind a while back as I quickly snapped this picture, which shows a left hand turn signal green, while the lights on the right, for those who wanted to go straight, remained red. That moment created parallel thoughts in my mind about the way we live our lives–do we stop, or keep going?

Many of us are in “go mode” all the time. If that’s true, then I believe we often completely miss the beauty of God in our lives. Besides the stoplights, did you notice anything else about the picture? Yes, the beautiful sunrise as the backdrop of conflicting stoplight signals. 

If I had been entirely focused on getting to my destination that morning, I would have completely missed the beauty of the moment. For those going straight that day, the red light forced them to stop, allowing for the opportunity to admire God’s creation that we are surrounded by daily.

He is in the rain.

He is in the sun.

He is in the flowers.

He is in the fields.

He is in the clouds.

He is in the storms.

He is always with us.

If you spend some time in the Word, you’ll quickly begin to see that God cares about every detail of our lives. The Bible says in Matthew 10:29 says: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” How much, then, does he care for every single one of His children?

When life doesn’t look as we thought it might, we must choose to slow down, look around, and remember that the Father’s care is far beyond what we could imagine. Whether we have a green light to go, a yellow light to slow down, or a red light to stop, He provides so much beauty, and wraps us up in His mercy, love, and grace. Look for Him in the sun, the rain, the flowers, the fields. Be reminded that the red lights and the green lights are equally important.

That morning was a reminder that I have two choices: I can choose to always keep my foot on the gas pedal, pushing toward whatever destination I have in mind for myself, or I can remember to slow down, stop, and be reminded of the Father’s care, and the beautiful plan He has for my life.