By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
April 3, 2020
WILSON – There’s nothing flashy about Anita Jones’ signs. Black letters on a white background with two simple commands: Be HUMBLE; PRAY. It’s the Scripture reference across the bottom — 2 Chronicles 7:14 — and the God the scripture points to that makes the message powerful, says the Wilson business owner who has given away hundreds of the placards for people to display and, more importantly, to obey.
A member of Daniel’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, Jones considers her business, Anita’s Marketing, God’s property. So when, during her morning devotion just over a week ago, she was reminded of the verse and felt prompted to act, she got busy.
“I came to work and sat down at my computer and said, What do I do, God? I thought, What if we put a yard sign in everybody’s yard to just remind them how important it is for us to be humble? There are so many crazy people out there right now hoarding food and doing things that are not helping their neighbor,” Jones said. “So what if we put a sign in our yards that says Be Humble and Pray and references the Scripture and gets people thinking about God’s word instead of themselves?”
So she made the signs and put them in front of her business at 437 Ward Blvd. in Wilson with a sign urging passersby to take one.
“We did 10 yard signs and they were gone; and we did 50 yard signs and they were gone; and we did 100 yard signs, and as of this morning they are gone,” she said Thursday. “I’ve got 200 ordered, and it’s just amazing.”
The verse referenced — “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” — is what Jones believes God wants people to hear, especially as they face uncertainty and the need for healing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I believe He is using this for His glory to shout out to everybody and tell them He is still in control, to say, ‘Lean on me,’” she said.
Jones’ pastor, the Rev. Bill Gross, is not surprised by her actions.
“Anita has a tremendous passion for evangelism and revival, not only in our local area, but for our country. She has a passion for God to do something really special that will grab the hearts of a lost and dying world,” he said. “This is something that God has really moved her to do. And I believe that anybody and everybody who has a heart for God and a desire for revival would do well to get on board.”
Jones has already seen some passersby do just that.
“We have had people who were coming and kneeling at those signs and praying to God before they took the sign with them,” she said. “They were kneeling and praying.”
The Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, commended Jones for her act of faith.
“At the CAL, we are always trying to engage the culture with the Gospel in a relevant way, and I think Anita’s sign does that. It is about the current crisis; it’s about our vulnerabilities; and it’s about our desperate need for God,” he said. “She has done that in such a simple way. And by displaying and taking its message to heart, people can do it along with her. I think we are at a crossroads, and the Lord is appealing to our stubborn pride. We not only need healing from a pandemic, but healing for the soul. We’ve been on the wrong track for quite a while. We need to humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and pray for the rule of Christ in our lives.”
Be Humble. Pray. 2 Chronicles 7:14.