2016’s Confusing Message

2016 was kind of a confusing year. It’s like the confusing message I saw on the sign from Georgia’s I-75 on my way home from a Christmas break with the kids.

Message 3.

What is that supposed to mean?

(Gee, I didn’t bring my super-secret Georgia decoder ring with me on the trip.)

* * *

I know, I thought, I’ll ask Siri!

• Hey Siri … What is Message 3?
• You have no unread messages.
• Hey Siri
• I’m listening
• Message 3
• To whom should I send your message?
• Aarrgh!
• I didn’t catch that.
• Hey Siri…Georgia highway message 3
• I didn’t find anything for Georgia highway message 3.

I gave up before she gave me locations for Massage Envy or “my sage tree.”

I’d be willing to bet that if I did finally decode Message 3 it would say something like:

• “Stop using your cell phone. Distracted driving kills”
• “Siri’s worthless. Why do you keep trying?”
• “Learn to ask better Siri questions.  Helpful tips.  Take a look.”
• “Hang up and drive”
• or maybe, “None of your business. That message was not for you.”

There’s a lot about 2016 that I found confusing. What’s ironic is that with a world of information at our fingertips, we are able to look up why the Amish can drive golf carts, the origins of the trucking company SAIA, or when Harvey Korman died, but so many of us seem to have lost sight of what’s really important.

Maybe Message 3 would be to look back over the year and find what’s been good and carry that into 2017.

Hey Siri, what would the Apostle Paul say about how to make life less confusing?

She probably wouldn’t understand that question either, but I’d like for her to say, “OK, here’s what I found. Take a look.”

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable– if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me– put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Yeah, I think that’s a pretty good answer and a great message to conclude a confusing year.