The Messy Middle

where grace and truth reside

  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Speaking

China, Faith, Language of Eden

A sign with a riddle, a riddle within a sign

Tis the season for signs.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.  A virgin. A star in the east.

Not always easy to read, to believe, to follow. Even when they are right in front of you.

Seen in Chongqing. Submitted by Amy Flammang.

Amy Flammang submitted this photo saying that she thought it was a hair salon when she first saw it. Me too, it’s not.

Do you see it? Try not to scroll down before taking a moment to let “the boys in the basement” (aka your subconscious) work on it for a bit.

 

Forever tressed.

 

Forever what?

 

Tressed.

 

Tressed.

 

Something is going on here. I hope you got it (I didn’t).

“Tressed is dessert spelled backwards.  No one caught that the letters were put up backwards, including us at first!” Thank you Amy F. for putting me out of my misery.

And suddenly it was. so. obvious.

Duh.

Forever Dessert. One small change, changes everything, bringing the desirable out of the nonsensical.

I am not so naive as to claim that desserts are going to come out of a situation if we just see it differently. But as those who have been sent from the Garden of Eden with the whispered promise it won’t always be this way,  more often than not, hope is hidden right in front of us.

Tis the season for signs. Signs that remind it it will not always be this way and that which we think is a haircut can be so much more.

Q4U: Did you need Amy F. to put you out of your misery? Where have you seen hope this season?

**********************

Related articles:

  • The view from the 17th floor
  • You in the fitness: not your native language
  • Caution, drop down: speaking blame
  • It’s forbidden to prostitute, abuse drug, and gamble
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Related

«
»

9 Comments December 10, 2012

About Amy

My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet.

Comments

  1. Mia says

    December 10, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    Hi Amy
    Not to worry, I also did not see it at first. I received tremendous hope from this Christmas season from the humility of the stable and the simplicity of the shepherds. I hope it makes sense for Christmas has become a big showy, worldly, glitzy affair and it troubled me.
    Thanks for a charming post.
    Hugs XX
    Mia

    Reply
    • Amy says

      December 10, 2012 at 7:58 pm

      Mia … it makes perfect sense. Hugs back! Amy

      Reply
  2. Kristi says

    December 10, 2012 at 9:22 pm

    I see hope in the words “in the fullness of time.” My time often seems like it is full to overflowing. I have too much to do and not enough time in which to do it. At other times there is nothing but time. I must wait and trust and lean on the One who has my times and all of history in His hands. The Father sent Jesus in “the fullness of time.” He was not a moment too late, even though the Old Testament prophets may have thought so. He didn’t arrive a second too early. Maybe if He had been born a day later there would have been room in the inn and Mary would have had sheets instead of straw on which to give birth. God’s timing is not always easy to understand or something I can say Amen to at first, but it is best. He will accomplish His purposes in my life and in those that I love “in the fullness of time.”

    Reply
    • Amy says

      December 11, 2012 at 6:06 am

      Me too! I’m hanging on the that one today!

      Reply
    • Karen Miedrich-Luo says

      January 12, 2013 at 10:05 pm

      I like this perspective. But could you explaine “stone soup community?” I suspect it has to do with people adding hot stones to make a soup?!!!

      Reply
  3. Debbie Marshall says

    December 11, 2012 at 2:43 am

    In my vast understanding of about 20 Chinese characters (about half of which are numbers), I saw that last character, the one with the three squares stacked up. I think of it as jiaozi stacked up, and remember that it means something like delicious or tasty. So I suspected it was about food, but ……. I didnt get it either. But this little example is one of the things that gives me hope. I often only understand one tiny little piece of a big puzzle, but then somebody else understands some other aspect, and a 3rd, 4th, and 5th person have a clue about some other part. It’s the Stone Soup Community in so many aspects of life. Sometimes we dont share cuz we are focusing on our own thing (rightly, but narrowly). But then for one reason or another we lift up our eyes to those around us and find that we fit into a bigger picture also.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      December 11, 2012 at 6:05 am

      Debbie, I love the communal aspect you mention! And agree, that often I don’t fully get something but the next person add to it (or my understanding) and so on and so on … :)

      Reply
  4. Mark Allman says

    December 12, 2012 at 5:18 am

    I never got it!! :) Our perspective leads us along paths we might have not gone down.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      December 12, 2012 at 7:00 am

      So true, Mark, so true!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Meet Amy Young

My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet. Read More…

Social

  • View themessymiddle’s profile on Facebook
  • View the_amy_young’s profile on Twitter
  • View amy_young1234’s profile on Instagram
  • View messymiddleamy’s profile on Pinterest
ADD TO FEED READER | CONTACT

welcome, here we

Don't have to choose between extremes. You can embrace life's Messy Middle.

recent posts

  • Becoming More Fruitful is published :)
  • Summer Reading Challenge 2022 is Finished
  • You’re invited to a launch party!
  • Summer Reading Challenge 2022 is here!
  • Top 14 Books of 2021
  • What my book group read in 2021

Archives

meet amy young

My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet. Read More…

explore

  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Speaking

get updates

Copyright © 2023 Amy Young · Customized by A Sacred Journey

{This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.}