Colleen Orchanian

My sister, Kathy, and her husband Tom are remodeling their bathroom. As they tore out the walls, they found a board with Tom's signature and a date – the date he had remodeled the bathroom 40 years ago. Tom is a tradesman. Before retiring he did siding and roofing, and with every job he signed his work in a place nobody would see.

Tom takes pride in his work. It's not the bad kind of pride where we want everyone to notice us. It is the pride of a job well done. That's like the pride of the workers in the great cathedrals of old. We often don't know who made the stained glass windows, carved the altar, or built the pipe organ. But we are moved by the beauty and craftsmanship. I imagine that the cathedral builders were proud to have been part of the creation of such a glorious monument to God, even if nobody knew their names. Maybe some of them, like Tom, signed their name in a hidden spot.

When I look around at my local church, I see the signatures of many people. I see Podgy's signature on the wood carving of Jesus. I see Nancy's signature on the Stations of the Cross that she painted and Bill's signature on the altar table he made. I see the precious vessels used during Mass and the candles on the altar that were generous donations by friends. Each signature represents the workmanship of someone who loved and served God.

Similarly, when I'm in my prayer space at home, I see the signatures of many who have shaped my faith life. My mother's icons and paintings are on the wall, as are pieces of art from my friends Sue, Robynne, Tarah, and Joan. My husband's wood art is there, along with a rosary he gave me and the rosary of his mother. And I read a daily devotional that belonged to my father, with his highlights in it. I am surrounded by the signatures of those who have blessed me in my life. That is a great comfort to me.

Each act of service, each spoken word, each gift, and each moment of prayer can be signed. My actions are my signature. Ephesians 2:10 says For we are his workmanship – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We have a chance to put our signature into the world – on our kids, our family, our friends, even the strangers we meet along the way. My brother-in-law Tom didn't just sign the work he did as a tradesman, he also signed his children. His son Kris became a tradesman like his father and his dad hired him to replace the roof. As the crew tore off the old roof, one of the crewmen commented, "This roof is perfect. There isn't a single mistake." Kris responded, "That's because my dad did it, and he expects it to be perfect when we're done." His daughter Melissa learned to stand up for what she believed, even if those in power didn't agree. That served her well when she went to law school. So in many ways, his children are signed with his autograph, carrying on the best of Tom in their lives and work.

The movie One Life starring Anthony Hopkins tells the story of Sir Nicholas Winton who saved 10,000 children from the dangers of World War II. Similarly, Oskar Schindler saved nearly 1,200 Jews from death during the Holocaust. The signatures of each of these men were on the souls of the people they saved.

Our lives should be known as the work of God. His signature is written on our souls. Our desire as Christians should be to have our signature represent the good work we do in this life by the grace of God. We want to hear, Well done, good and faithful servant.

Sometimes our signature represents good workmanship, while at other times not so much. Instead, it reflects our brokenness and sin. There's an old country song called I've Been Watching You about a little boy who wants to be like his dad. When something goes wrong, the boy says a four-letter word, and the dad asks, Where'd you learn to talk like that? His son says I've been watching you. I want to be like you. That daddy's signature was on his son and he didn't like it.

Maybe there are mistakes in your life, signatures you wish were not yours, but they are. That's when our signature reflects our faults and the damage we have done to others. It's difficult when we know that our words or actions wounded another person. If we've transformed our lives, the signatures from our past may be a great burden. We know the pain we caused and can see our signature and the date of the harm, and it breaks our hearts. Sometimes the enemy of our souls shines a light on these places, trying to tear us down. But God doesn't do that. He wants to heal our wounds and the wounds of those we hurt. Jesus is the Divine Physician. He wants to put on a new roof, one that's perfect. He doesn't cover up the mess that we made. He tears it off and replaces it. He can heal us and He can heal those we harmed because of our brokenness. There may not be reconciliation with that person, but there can be healing.

God's signature is on each of us because we are made in His image and likeness. Matthew 5:16 tells us: Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. The words I say or write, if they are good, are from Him – from the Holy Spirit. When I serve God, I am revealing his signature written on my heart. And maybe, if someone sees God's signature on my heart – on your heart – they, too, might be drawn to Him and see His signature on their soul. And then one day, they – and we – might hear those blessed words: Well done good and faithful servant!

Questions for prayer:

1. Where are you leaving your signature? Are you proud of the work you're doing?

2. Do you mind when your signature is hidden? Why?

3. Whose signature do you see in your life? How has that signature impacted your journey of faith?