An older gentleman recently asked if I’d had any experience with signs, not those on roadsides but ones from above. His wife died last spring. Sometimes he wonders if she’s touching base.

In 2005 the couple planted a bed of miniature roses. For undetermined reasons the plants didn’t flourish. They grew less than 18 inches tall and never bloomed. Eventually all of them died except for one scraggly bush.

A single struggling plant didn’t seem to him worth keeping, but his wife assured him multiple times it would someday bloom. Now in his first summer without her, the loneliest summer in 60 plus years, it came to pass. That’s why he’s thinking about signs. 

After noticing the lone bud he listened to an old song, “Roses Will Bloom Again,” and he shed a few tears. One line mentions the Rose of Sharon. On the day of his email I was working on a column that referenced that same flower. I don’t know if that peculiar timing is a sign, but it got my attention.

We know from scripture God has used signs in notable ways. Moses saw a burning bush that wasn’t consumed. Pharaoh had more experience with signs than he could handle. 

Gideon’s story of leaving a fleece on the ground is well known. He first asked God to moisten it, then pled that it be kept dry. God honored both requests.      

If we skip over to the New Testament, Paul’s sudden blindness on the Damascus Road is a sign of divine intervention. Stephen’s prayer not to hold his accusers responsible for his stoning is a sign of a remarkably forgiving faith. 

But what about today? Does God still give signs and perhaps even allow our loved ones to play a role? Hebrews 12:1 notes we are surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses.” Some interpret that to mean the saints, such as those mentioned in Chapter 11, are aware and possibly involved in our lives. Others consider it a figurative encouragement to conduct ourselves as if witnesses are cheering us on. My position is that I don’t know. 

What I do know is God has a long history of using signs. One of my favorites is the rainbow Noah saw after the flood. Jane and I saw a double rainbow soon after my brother’s death last year. We were taking our first walk in a long time on the dirt road beside our home. Was the rare, double rainbow a sign? I can’t say, but it felt like one. It was comforting to be reminded Jimmy has a better view than I do.

Signs are not always manifested in physical ways. Perhaps they come through reading a familiar scripture that seems more vibrant than before. Or maybe it’s the quiet nudge of the Holy Spirit leading us to do something out of the ordinary. 

The South Central Baptists Association held a men’s fish fry at First Baptist Vienna in late August. I sat by a young man who didn’t look familiar. He said he was a traveling preacher walking from Nashville to Florida.

David had completed some Bible studies while in prison. He worked as a cook after getting out, then God told him to start walking. He said he goes where the Holy Spirit leads and hasn’t been hungry on his journey. There wasn’t time to ask about signs that brought him our way. I hope he’s traveling the straight and narrow road.   

I’m not sure how to respond to my reader’s query. The older I get the more I realize how limited my understanding is. There’s no doubt God still uses signs. They may, however, be shrouded with a degree of mystery. Otherwise we might test his patience by continually asking for more.

Whether the man’s wife was personally involved in that surprise flowering I can only speculate. It’s possible she was privileged to play an active part. It seems likely she was at least allowed to bear witness with warm pleasure. In a heaven overflowing with rewards that would fit nicely. 

It could, though, have been God working alone without anyone watching, offering the blessing of a tender reminder to a loving husband who needed some cheer. However it’s viewed, the source is the same. The best response I can offer is not an answer, just an observation. If the sign points upward, follow it. Roses will surely bloom again.