From Storms to Signals: Recognizing and Responding to Life’s Red Flags

“There’s a storm brewing.”

When the weatherman said that on the Gulf Coast from June to Thanksgiving, it meant “pay attention.”

For seventeen years, we hugged the coast by Galveston. As May faded into summer, you listened.

A wave off the African coast looks innocent until it crosses into the Gulf. Then, danger threatens.

On more than one occasion, I found myself boarding up our house on my birthday. We did not know whether it would hit or not (and fortunately, we never had a bad one the whole time we lived there.)

But many ignored the warnings. The skeptic said, “I’ll be ok. I’ve gone through them before. Those weathermen always blow it out of proportion.”

Many needed rescue, and some lost their lives.

It’s because you ignore the warning signs.

In life, we often have warning signs that trouble is approaching.

Red Flags

Is there distance growing in your relationships?

When people care, they protect and stay close to one another. But when distance creeps in, it’s a red flag. Have a heart-to-heart. Seek counseling.

Do you blame others for your problems?

There is usually enough blame to go around, but it is best to start with the face in the mirror. What have you done (or not done) to create the situation you are in?

We blame others to avoid taking responsibility. Adam blamed Eve (and God). Eve pointed her finger at the serpent. Yet, both chose on their own.

If you think it is everyone’s fault, it is yours. Face it and change your behavior.

Are you angry with those who point out your failings?

I once had a woman in a church who took my arm one Sunday, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “I have noticed that in your articles you have let mistakes creep in. You are better than that, so correct it.”

I wanted to grow defensive, but the truth was in ink on the page.

I needed the correction.

Do Something…Now Not Later

Some people want to help you, but if they get your wrath, the voices will quiet. Then, you will walk down a path to destruction.

When the warning signs are there, pay attention. As Balaam’s donkey mashed against the wall to avoid danger, destruction looms if you miss the moment to change.

Paul warned the Corinthians about missing the warning signs. He pointed to the history of failings of God’s people and summarized it this way:

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

On November 5, 1954, Marvin Hill, a university professor in Dallas, was walking down a suburban street when he “just beeped over and couldn’t get up.”

While waiting for an ambulance, he asked for a glass of water, only to discover he was unable to swallow. A stroke had paralyzed one of his throat muscles, making it impossible for him to either eat or drink.

For thirty years, his diet consisted only of baby food and liquids through a tube.

Then, in 1984, as a result of surgery and treatment, he was able to swallow once again.

The operation had been available for 15 years—if only he had known.

You can avoid the suffering if you seek help before it becomes critical.

When the warning signs are there, don’t ignore them.

What flags are waving in your life?