By Linda Veath
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframe of your houses and on your gates. ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV
It had not been a good day. I was sitting in my favorite chair having a pity party for one when the doorbell rang.
As I stepped outside, two nicely dressed younger men were waiting for me. Members of a local church, they were inviting children to their Vacation Bible School. Even though I have no children, we talked briefly about VBS and they asked if I’d answer a few survey questions for them.
Questions relating to my having a church home, reasons for our country going in the direction it is, how to get more people in church, and how did I know I was saved. My answer to that one was, of course, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins.” The younger of the two said “All right! Give me five.” Which I did.
Before the two men left, they asked if I had prayer needs. Did I ever. So standing on my front porch, we had a beautiful time of prayer. As they prepared to leave, one pointed to my door and the large garden flag hanging on it. Written on the flag was Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. He said, “We knew we were going to have a good discussion at this house.”
When I shared this story with my pastor, he likened my door flag to the Jewish tradition of putting a Mezuzah—a small box containing strips of paper with Bible verses on it—at the entrance to their homes and sometimes to each room in their homes. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is one of the more common verses included. The early Christians did something similar by hanging the symbol for fish or other Christian symbols on their doorposts.
I’m not sure my garden flags could be considered a Mezuzah. But I’m thankful that the flags on my door are seen by others, reminding us to seek to fill our homes and our lives with love for God, His Living Word, and His salvation.
I’m also thankful that God used my garden flag to draw these two men to my home, bringing an end to my pity party. A beautiful message from the doorframe.