I Need a Sign

John 20:25 NIV

Over the years, I have become the designated driver in our family. Not just by default, but by reputation — I am the safe one, the steady one, the one who will get you there without drama or detour. There is something I genuinely love about settling into a long drive: finding the right playlist, feeling the road open up, and simply cruising. It is one of my quieter joys.

But every experienced driver knows that the peace of the open road comes with a non-negotiable responsibility — you must pay attention to the signs. Miss one, and the consequences multiply quickly. A delayed arrival. An unintended exit. Extra tolls. A gas tank running lower than it should. The GPS may be speaking, but if you are not listening, the journey becomes far more complicated than it needed to be. The signs are not suggestions. They are the language of the road, and they exist to get you where you are going.

The resurrection has happened. Jesus has appeared to Mary Magdalene, then to a room full of frightened disciples huddled behind locked doors. The atmosphere must have shifted from terror to wonder — but Thomas was not there. He missed the meeting. And when the others rushed to tell him what they had witnessed, Thomas responded with words that have followed his name for two thousand years: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

We reduced him to an adjective — doubting — as if asking for evidence were a character flaw. Jesus did not scold him. He did not deliver a sermon about the weakness of doubt. He simply turned to Thomas and said, “Put your finger here.” He extended a nail-scarred hand to meet a doubting heart and in that gesture, said everything. Understand this: your need for a sign is not a confession of weak faith. It is an invitation. It is the soul saying, Lord, I need You to show me something. Doubt is not the opposite of faith, silence is turning away without asking it.

For Reflection: When was a time you genuinely needed God to show you something — and what happened when you asked?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​