I am training to be a volunteer firefighter. Things got a little interesting when I took the fire apparatus on the road for the first time. Just as we rolled out the door, a call came in for an individual needing medical assistance. What was supposed to be practice road driving became an actual call on back roads!
As he was supervising my driving, my training officer gave me some advice. Our rural roads have the standard center lines and fog lines. He told me that that what lies beyond the fog line cannot be depended upon. It could be pavement, sticky mud, or a drop-off into a river. The weight of the apparatus could cause the shoulder beyond the fog line to collapse. The centerline is the guide that I can depend on.
This example formed the core illustration in my sermon on Sunday. There is one “line” – one source — we can depend on. Others may look stable, but they cannot be trusted.
