The Line

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5, 6)

I'm up late, home from a BC vs. Saskatchewan game at BC Place. Thought that I might as well post my somewhat related entry - at least it's about BC and Saskatchewan.

Sometimes I have trouble with one part of Proverbs 3:5-6; What does it mean to live the straight path of life? I wonder if people in Saskatchewan understand this verse differently from those who live in Squamish?

Those who live on the prairies know about straight roads that stretch for hundreds of miles, without a curve. If you stand on your toes you can see the Manitoba border from Swift Current.

For others who live along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, a straight road is that uphill section which allows five seconds to pass the slow moving truck in the slow lane. The words straight and mountain road just don’t seem to go together.

Many times life resembles a curve-filled road with unseen dangers or circumstances around each bend. My life has had few “Saskatchewan stretches” where I knew how everything would work out.

My work on a survey crew helped me understand the importance of a road’s centre line. An engineer plots the course of a road and everything else revolves around the plan he forms. Building the road hinges upon the centre line, guiding every foot of pavement that is laid.

Once the asphalt has cooled, a centre line is painted to guide drivers around corners. Although they can’t see around the curve in the road, motorists trust that a well-meaning engineer placed the line to protect them.

I believe that the Master Engineer has placed a centre line for us to follow. It is found in His word, seen in people who don’t have all the answers, and experienced when we place our trust in Him when we don’t always know how things will turn out.