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Recent Article (Sept/Oct 2009)

The Plumb Line

by Lee Ann Davison

 

Every time I read the book of Amos I am reminded about our first wallpapering experience.

The room had a fireplace with a small window on either side, a triple window and several arched doorway openings. Definitely a challenging project for first timers! We were very careful to mark a plumb line. We started our wallpapering project basing everything against that plumb line. As we worked around the room everything was lining up fine and the pattern was matching exactly until we got about halfway around the room. Then we noticed that overall things “did not look quite right” anymore as we turned a corner. What were we going to do? We had started out plumb. We continually kept aligning with the original plumb line. Our pattern was matching perfectly. We looked and we measured. We knew that the work we were doing was still in “plumb”; it just didn’t look that way.

We discussed whether we had used the plumb line properly to determine what was plumb or not. Should we have used the plumb line after all? Perhaps we should have just started out and aligned with one of the archways or the lines of the windows instead of going to all that work to determine and start out plumb. Should we change our reference point? We decided there was no sense in taking down all that we had done. We knew we had started out right and we could not see any area where we had strayed from the original line of plumb. We continued on around the room; heading toward that original plumb line we had marked so carefully. I still remember the relief and the satisfaction we felt when we hung that last strip of wallpaper. Everything that had looked so “not quite right” with the room suddenly all squared up. The wallpaper matched up perfectly! There were no uneven lines. No longer did things look “not quite right.”

As I read the book of Amos last night I relived that first wallpapering experience. I remembered the frustration, the questions of what did we do wrong, why did we ever think we could wallpaper this room, what is it going to look like when we finish? There were areas where we noticed some “settling” of the foundation had occurred and areas where the measurements just didn’t seem true but we didn’t allow those to become our reference point. We just kept working around the room and kept referring back to the plumb line. At the finish point, it made the difference. Our work was “perfect.” It was always a wonderful feeling to walk into that room and know that regardless of our total lack of experience and the imperfections and difficulties that we experienced our work had passed the test.

Sometimes life reminds me of that wallpapering project. We start out walking this Christian life and hopefully we first established our plumb line. What or who is your plumb line? I hope you chose Christ to be your plumb line. He is the only one who can guide us when everything is shifting. Some in whom we have had confidence may no longer seem to be living “perfectly square” with what they once taught and professed. Questions and doubts arise. Remember how the Lord has helped you thus far. Refer back to the plumb line and continue to line every aspect of your life against that plumb line. When obstacles arise, trust the Lord to show you to how to work with it or around it and continue to stay plumb with Him. Base your decisions on the plumb line of Christ and God’s Holy Word that does not change. Christ is the only perfect example we have to follow. If we keep Christ as our example and God’s Holy Word as our guide we will have a life that stands straight and true when God stretches out His final plumb line.