The Chalk Line

When I was a kid, I would occasionally go to work with my father. I would watch him intensely as he pulled electric cables through a wall. Sometimes he would plaster and then paint the walls. On other occasions he would cover the wall with wallpaper. The latter was most interesting to me.

I watched my father use a tool such as a plumb line to help figure out a straight line. He would then take a reel of string covered in chalk, stretch the string from the top marked spot to the bottom marked spot, and secure it. My job would be to carefully pull the string back and pop it against the wall. It left a straight chalk line so my father would know where to hang the wall paper. As a child, it fascinated me to see how straight the line was on the wall. When he finished with the wall, they looked beautiful.

One of my favorite verses to read often or repeat is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIVUK).

As an adult, sometimes I think about the straight lines my father made with the chalk. It reminds me how our Heavenly Father makes our paths of life straight. First, He tells us to trust Him completely. Second, He says that we should not lean on our own understanding. And lastly, He tells us to submit all our ways to Him. Then He carefully pulls back the chalked string and pop! He makes our paths of life straight. 

Just as my father carefully followed the steps to establish a straight line, I am learning that I need to do the same in my life so that God can make my path straight. I must confess though, this has been the hardest for me. Trusting His Word and not my own come with a struggle. Whenever I find myself leaning on my thoughts and words, they often crumble underneath me. When I trust Him, I find that I worry less, bypass anxiety and sleep better at night. Slowly, the way becomes clearer as I submit my ways to Him. One day, when He finishes, my life will be a beautiful reflection of Him.

Pamela Williams writes from Southern California.

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