Figuring Out Life

If you were to talk to a bunch of kids these days you'd see that they think they have life pretty well figured out. Here are some examples of the great truths about life that children have learned:

• No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.
• When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
• If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
• You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
• Reading what people write on desks can teach you a lot.
• Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
• Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a breath mint.
• Never hold a vacuum and a cat at the same time.
• You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
• Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts no matter how cute the underwear is.

As true as these sage pieces of advice about life may be, Solomon had some better stuff which he had learned, and he wrote about it in his first book. Proverbs was written about three thousand years ago and still holds just as true today. One of the twelve foundational truths that the wise king wrote about was righteousness, which is simply right living or walking the right path.

The fact remains today that the only way to end up at the right destination is to choose the right path.Try as we may to shift the blame on other people, we are each ultimately responsible for the life path which we choose to walk. But thank God that he offers his help to each of us as we make those choices. Our shepherd, who has already seen our futures, is always there to direct our paths and help us make the right decisions at those difficult crossroads.

A good friend of mine works on the ships which sail up and down our B.C. coast and he taught me a very important lesson about God’s willingness to guide us on the right path. Because our coastline is so unpredictable and dangerous, our shipping authorities do not allow any ships to enter our B.C. ports without an officially trained and licensed pilot aboard. When a ship from Europe, Asia or Australia arrives within a few miles of our B.C. coast, the captain has to call ahead to Vancouver and have the authorities send out a pilot. When the pilot gets to the ship, the captain gives him full authority over his crew and ship. He understands that the pilot knows the hidden reefs and rocks and how to manoeuvre between them. The pilot also guides the ship as it leaves our coastal ports.

We are the captains of our own ships and choose each day where we will sail, but wisdom teaches us to give the ultimate authority over our lives to the pilot who knows the right path. Solomon tells us that the pilot is the Lord – in all your ways, put him first and he will direct your paths.

Happy sailing,

Barry