Mixed Signals

I spent a little extra time in the airport yesterday. While my plane and flight crew were ready for my connecting flight at Midway, we were apparently in a "weather hold" due to earlier rain in Newark, our destination.  Go figure.

It wasn't an extremely long layover, but I had the opportunity to walk around the terminal a few times, from one end to the other.  This of course was made easier by the moving walkways, or "escalators on the ground" as I once heard them described by a four year old.  It was this experience that led to this reflection.

I realized that as I stepped with one foot onto the moving walkway going in the direction I intended.  As I took this action, I clearly heard the announcement over the loud speaker meant for those about to step off the moving walkway from the other direction:  "Caution, the moving walkway is ending." A helpful message I suppose for folks not paying attention and just enjoying the ride, but a mixed signal of sorts for those of us just starting out on our mini electronically assisted journey through airport distraction.  If you took the message seriously without pondering it in the split moment before your foot touched the ground, you could end up going nowhere fast.

How often do we stop and start, move backwards and forwards due to our own internal mixed signals.  Or the mixed signals of family members, loved ones, elected or church leaders.  It takes wisdom and a discerning heart to sort through all the noise and know that yes, I do want to take this step forward.  It is the right path for me, at this time.