We all recognize life is a journey. Those of us living up North get snow and icy road conditions in winter. Generally speaking, we would prefer dry roads. We are all affected in different ways by what we see as adverse conditions.
I have spent several winters on ice roads in the high arctic, traversing the sheet ice of magnificent northern lakes, hour after hour. In this harsh climate a stunted pine might reach a mature height of 8 feet. My truck-driving experiences have changed my view about traveling on ice. I have learned that inertia and balance are the key points establishing whether a voyage is successful, or a calamity. Skid marks, even on a completely dry interstate in Arizona, will bear me out. The imprudence of reckless or ignorant drivers can result in the defeat of the law of traction between rubber and dry highway, giving way to uncontrolled skids. The same holds true for an eight-axle rig loaded with aviation fuel, traveling on sheet ice in the arctic.
The three greatest causes for wrecks and casualties are not the road conditions. Rather, it is fear, overconfidence, and unawareness which boils down to lack of training, or the inability to listen. Enough of my tutorial on driving in icy conditions!
Now let’s draw a comparison to life. The hazards of life that cause the most carnage may well be fear, overconfidence and the state of remaining unaware.
I John 4:18 “…fear hath torment…”
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Isaiah 30:15 “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”
Last night I was privileged to hear an incredible oration on the topic “regaining the vision”. As in all teaching, the listeners glean different things. What registered with me was a comment on “the weakness of preaching”. An example given was that our sins are not merely “covered by the blood”; they are washed away and we are white as snow! They are gone! It was repeatedly mentioned that servitude only to avoid disappointments in life (ultimately missing our home in heaven) was not sufficient to “regain the vision”. The speaker emphasized that we need to experience the glory and majesty of serving God, the Creator of the Universe! I cannot do justice in repeating what the Spirit was conveying. All I may say is that I long for a safe trusting voyage on the slippery “slidy” highways of life.
I woke with a dream lingering in my mind. I couldn’t shake it, so I rested in my bed in the darkness of the morning. I clasped my hands in prayer and asked God, my master pilot, to lead my memory and thought to interpret the meaning of the dream.
In my dream a few young men who I respect and with whom I attend Church had purchased a “Gentlemen’s Club” in Fort McLeod, just half an hour south of our community. Well. A gentlemen’s club does not have much to offer a gentleman. Certainly not to Christian gentlemen. Here were 4 or 5 of us, leaning on a fence by the building, in discussion. The building seemed to have no signage. The walls were void of decoration; the interior unfurnished. The discussion outside was about how we would set the place up so we could maintain our own honour. Someone had hired, via the internet, some “good” ladies.
The interpretation of this far-fetched dream wasn’t quite as far-fetched as I initially thought. My thoughts were directed to my wish to have the pleasures of the world, while at the same time wanting to preserve my dignity in the community and, more specifically, in my own circles. At times I too find myself pondering how I might take part in doing reproachful things, but without the reproach.I recognize that for me to find the security of the “Master Pilot”, I will need to release my death grip on the steering wheel. I will try to allow God to instruct me on how to handle the Road Conditions.
