OK, making one more use of the photo I posted a couple days ago re: the Illinois Welcome Center. This is our our church’s eNews…

My family made its annual trek to my home state of Iowa between Christmas and New Year’s last week. After a nice visit with my family and taking the pulse of who will caucus for whom, we headed home on the 31st. We often will stop by the Iowa Welcome Center (which is right at the Mississippi River) for a nice break. There are a couple of gas stations nearby, a McDonald’s, and the center itself has a nice little gift shop, plenty of clean restrooms, a playground, lots of places to walk our dog. If you’re coming from the east, it’s a nice way to be introduced to the state and if you’re coming from the west, it’s a nice reminder of what you experienced.

This trip, we stopped off at the Illinois Welcome Center instead and we were greeted with this sign that I took a picture of. The restrooms were open (and clean) but the sign didn’t exactly scream “Welcome to Illinois!”

I have a fondness for making New Year’s resolutions. I never keep all of them, but I like new starts and having hope that at least one or two will stick. This sign, though, made me think not just about resolutions that I want to take on but also barriers that may be blocking me. Am I putting up this kind of sign with my friends, family, God? Telling them that I may look open, but really, I’m pretty much closed for business? Staying open isn’t always easy, but it allows for some remarkable experiences. With Iowans, Illinoisians, Michiganders, Californians, South Koreans, Nigerians, Portugese, and Bolivians. And God. Especially God. May we all be open to the Spirit in 2012.