Stickers

by Todd

We have a sticker bandit in our house. She’s 36 inches tall and has the prettiest blond curls you’ve ever seen. You may not know where she is, but you can always tell where she has been. Icons of her presence may be in the form of Mickey Mouse, Dora, or an alphabet letter. The image is unimportant, but the fact that it is there means the world to me.

I have Goofy’s mug on my electric drill. My wife walks around with the letter “M” on her pant leg. My 6-month boy stands in his play saucer with the image of “Porky Pig” on his forehead. These are all signs of affection, signs of love, reminders that we were worthy enough be given a gift. At some point, she deemed us valuable in her sight and left us a visible token of her love.

As much of a neat-freak as I can be, I don’t run around removing these stickers like I do the muddy footprints. For, both show the signs of a person’s presence, but one is intentional love while the other is unintentional negligence.

What if we could see the stickers and footprints we have left behind? Not the stuff of paper and glue or shoes and mud, but the products of our actions, choices we have made, words we have spoken. George Bailey had the blessing of seeing what this world was like without him, something we may never see this side of eternity. Fortunately for George, and most of those who live on the silver screen, he left only good things in his wake. But the rest of us face the reality that we are sinful creatures in need of a Savior to save us from the muddy footprints we leave behind.

At any time in history, things happen because someone existed, someone left their mark. They did something, spoke something and now the effects live on, good or bad.

I once saw a man cross a secured crosswalk while shining a flashlight in the direction of all nearby drivers (mind you it was in broad daylight). His actions, I could only assume, were due to someone leaving their muddy footprint in his history book – and he would never let it happen again. Prior pain and the fear of its reoccurrence motivate a change of behavior. In the spirit of self-preservation one man hides his fears from others, or constantly talks about himself, or avoids eye contact. A mark has been left, a life has been changed.

To bring balance, I have a friend who reminds me often how much God loves me. He does this because someone has left a “sticker” in his life, a token of God’s affection. Someone made an investment and I enjoy the reward. Love and the truth of a redeeming Savior will cause one man to write notes for his wife, another to tell his kids every day how much he loves them, another to give hugs to everyone he greets, whether they are expecting it or not. By the grace of God, a life has been changed and His work continues.

Come to our house and you will see signs of love here and there. You may even leave with a few stickers of your own.

Father's Day Fun with Stickers - June, 2007