The Story of the Obie Sign

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

- John 14:21 (NIV)

The drive to Florida is not exactly a short, easy ride. In fact, it took us 17.5 hours to get there (and the same to get back). I cannot say that the “Obie” sign appeared HOURS upon HOURS down the road. It was about three or four hours away from home. And I know of only one place that has an “Obie” sign - Illinois. And, only “truckers” would notice such signs. Now, once you discover the truth behind the “Obie” sign, you may realize that you have seen many. The “Obie” sign is generally white with black lettering. BUT...not all signs that are white with black lettering are “Obie” signs. “Obie” signs must have the word “OBEY” on them.

Now, you probably are thinking that I am COMPLETELY CRAZY!! I am. And now that the matter of craziness is taken care of...let’s get back to business.

Here’s what happened...We were driving rather fast, and I saw a sign that said “Obey Lane Signals.” I asked my dad what “Obie” meant. He didn’t understand what I was saying. I was convinced that maybe it was something only “truckers” would know about. He asked me what I was talking about...And I said that I had seen a sign that had said “Obie” lane signals.” He laughed. I didn’t understand why. It was a serious question. “You mean O-B-E-Y...obey?” he replied. “Ohhhh...Obey!!!” I said, laughing at myself. “Obie” signs became famous...My siblings went crazy because I wanted a picture of an “Obie” sign and they didn’t know what such a thing was. My dad and I kept the secret away from the sibs for almost the entire trip until we were back in Illinois.

I interpreted the sign to say “Obie” and pronounced it like it would rhyme with “opie.” I figured “Obie” was some fancy word when I was merely interpreting obey as something more complex than it needed to be. I pictured it as so much more than what it was supposed to be. It was merely a sign that pointed towards something that the driver needed to do. Obey something that we already should know to obey. God has told us throughout the entire Bible to obey Him and we would have better lives, but we often get confused and see something more complex than what it is...All He wants is our love and devotion. And as we draw near to Him, His instruction will become clearer to us.

Get what you might from the story of the “Obie” sign, but might I warn you from what I have learned. First off...Don’t ever think that “Obie” signs are just for other people. Learn to understand the things of other cultures. Secondly, if you don’t know something, ask. Even if they laugh at you, you will still know the information! Thirdly, once you’re the expert regarding something...share the fun. Until now, no one outside the four of us on the trip knew what an “Obie” sign is...Now anyone with access to the World Wide Web can know. But, it’s best done in person...Just sayin’!

And most importantly, learn how to read, or else you will learn more than a spelling lesson...