Last Sunday, our minister shared a story about a “sign†someone received that was personal and meaningful to them. It was a sign on a license plate, that gave hope. Her message reminded me of a sign we received three years ago, hours before my mother-in-law, Millie transitioned into the next world. It’s a story with a meaning so clear to us, we couldn’t miss it. Here’s the story:
Millie’s StoryÂ
Because the end was near, we spent Millie’s last day in her room at the dementia care facility—and of course, at the time, we didn’t realize it was the last day. About 1pm,  her son Ross went out to get lunch for us. He settled for a particular fast food place, only because it was close. At the traffic light after grabbing the food, the license plate on the car in front of him caught his attention: Mark 534. At first he thought it meant Mark was born in May of 1934, but no—it was a Bible verse. He knew it was a message from God, or as he called it, a “God Wink†of assurance.
 This is Mark 5:34: “He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’â€
This is an example of a literal sign with a bigger and very personal meaning. Signs show up for everyone now and then, or maybe the signs are all around us, but we’re distracted by the flurry of life. Often, we teeter between regret of past actions and uneasiness about the future. Three years ago, death emptied us, forcing us to be in still. Let’s all promise to live 2023 in the present moment as much as we can.
Simply put: Take a breath, take a moment, take in the here and now each day of 2023. Â