Have you ever asked God to give you a sign? I do that occasionally. Sometimes God obliges and sometimes I continue to walk on through uncertainty, but I don’t see anything wrong with asking.

Apparently, though, the guy in our First Reading feels differently. God specifically invites King Ahaz to ask for a sign, but he’s squeamish about doing it. Maybe it seems too much like testing God, or maybe he’s afraid of being disappointed. In any case, he won’t ask, and so, to paraphrase, God says, “Fine. Be that way. I’m giving you a sign anyway, and it will be a young pregnant woman who will bear a son and name him Emmanuel (God Is with Us).”

For Ahaz, who’s in the midst of a scary political conflict, this sign is meant to reassure him of peaceful times to come. For us, New Testament writers use this promise as a confirmation of Christ’s coming – a sign that God is indeed with us.

When I ask God for a sign, it’s usually much the same; I’m looking for reassurance that God is with me. Sometimes I’m seeking confirmation about something specific: What should I do? Am I moving in the right direction? What are you calling me to? At other times, I just need to know that I’m not alone. Either way, the sign that God gives me is usually a sense of God’s own presence. For me, God’s presence tends to feel like peace or joy or excitement or connection. There are occasions when a sign might feel like uneasiness or distress. Feelings of fear or anxiety are not usually from God, so when I feel those instead of a peaceful confirmation, that tells me that whatever it is might not be God’s call for me. Or, I’m not done discerning yet and I need to keep looking. Or, something else is going on in me that I need to really need to attend to.

Sometimes a sign from God is not just a feeling but something more concrete. God has never sent me an angel (thank God!) or a prophet per se, except for people in my life who serve in that role, who offer me wisdom and remind me of God’s presence. And there are other subtle things that show me that God is there. Details of something I’ve been working on will all fall into place, and then I know that it’s not my work but God’s. A person will text or show up just when I need them, and that tells me that God is near. A song will come on that tells me exactly what I need to hear in a given moment. Now, please don’t hear me say that God talks to me through the radio or Spotify! Maybe it’s the song, but more than likely it’s my own reaction to it, my noticing, that shows me God’s presence and tells me a little about myself, like what I want or need or feel or seek.

Let’s go back to the sign that God gives King Ahaz. It’s a pretty concrete sign, one that clearly demonstrates God’s love and presence. As we know, it’s not just a sign for Ahaz; God gives us the same sign in Mary and the infant Jesus. The birth of the vulnerable, needy Christ child is the most profound, important sign that God has given humanity (in addition to raising him from the dead). We are vulnerable and needy too, and God is with us as we are. That speaks volumes about God’s desire for us, about God’s tremendous love for us.

God became finite and shows us infinite love; God became needy and shows us God’s Providence; God became poor and shows us abundance. The mystery and paradox of this sign shows us that its meaning continues to deepen all through time. The birth of Christ is not just a moment in history but a sign that reveals God’s love then, now, and always.

So, during this Fourth Week of Advent, let’s look for God’s presence. It’s okay to ask for a sign. And even if we don’t ask, God might just give us one anyway. I hope we continue to allow the sign of this mother and child to speak to us, renew us, and draw us near to God. Amen.

By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP

Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She also serves on the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International. She enjoys music, meaningful conversations, dancing, and babies, of course. Who doesn’t like babies?