February 20, 2026

While staying on a small island off of Puerto Rico, where much of the local transportation is done by golf cart, on our recent vacation, my husband and I asked our neighbor for directions to a particular location. "Oh, you can't miss it!", she said. She went on to explain that we would want to "hop onto" one of the two main roads on the island, "take it away from here" and "turn left when you see a tree in the road". To clarify she added, "The turn is at the two-story house." We thanked her and headed toward our golf cart. When we were out of ear shot, we both laughed, and noting that there were trees and two-story houses all over the island, said to each other "We're never going to find this!"

"Hopping onto" the road our neighbor indicated and heading in the direction of "away", ready for an adventure, off we went. We quickly learned why the directions were given the way they were: there were no street signs on the island. Not that they'd blown over or were too old to read: they weren't there. But you know what was there? A tree growing right in the middle of the road, with a two-story house on the left. We found our desired location without any trouble at all. "We just thought we we'd need to look for street signs", my husband said of our hesitation regarding the directions we'd been given. 

We thought we needed different signs. Isn't that the story of life? We're accustomed to one thing, but receive another, and we need to adjust accordingly, or we'll miss what's right in front of us. It can happen with directions, with opportunities, with other people, or even in our understanding of God. It's not easy to look for "signs" or guidance in new ways sometimes, but it's essential to our growth as human beings. And to finding neat places on a small island!

My prayer for you this week is for you to keep your eyes open for signs that you're on the right path, knowing these signs might come in a way you aren't expecting. May you encounter these signs with an open heart. And, should you happen to come to a tree in the road and a two-story house on the left, my prayer is that you'll take the turn with delight.