Keeping Life’s Course in Line

At the head of the desk in my home is a vintage plumb bob. I look at it every morning, every night, and sometimes throughout the day. I think it is beautiful. It is worn and old and obviously, it has seen many days of useful service. But to me, it is something of significant beauty. Upon seeing it for the first time, most people ask me what it is. I go into my usual, yet simple explanation. The plumb bob is a tool that has been used since ancient Egypt. Its purpose is to establish a vertical reference point when constructing a wall, in most cases a brick or stone wall. Basically, the weighted plumb bob is suspended from a string, centered over a datum mark. This establishes the vertical axis through the center of gravity. If a course of bricks, set upon a solid foundation, is always in line with the vertical string, then the wall will be straight. If it veers away from the string, the wall will lean and over time, will surely topple.

The reason I have the plumb bob on my desk is to remind me of a simple, undeniable truth. If I do not align my life at all times with the right centered reference, the course of my life will veer away from that vertical axis, and I will become off balance. If it goes on too long, I will surely topple.

I need that reminder. Truth be known, I should wear that plumb bob around my neck all day long. I am prone to align the daily course of my life with the prevailing pull of the world. My God clearly, vividly, poignantly, lovingly tells me to do otherwise. At the beginning of each day and at the end of each day, the plumb bob reminds me of something that is paramount. It reminds me that without God, I will fail. Sure, I may think that I have the course of my life seemingly straight and aligned. But over time, left unchecked, it will lean, and it will come falling down. It has before, and left unchecked, it will again.

I remember building a home in a foreign country for an impoverished family. It was years ago, and it was the first of several homes I would be fortunate enough to help build. On this first home, I was in charge of the construction team. We were given a simple, primitive plumb bob and were told to align every course of concrete block against the string. If not, we would have a crooked wall. Very shortly, I saw that aligning every course took extra time, and I wanted to get the job done. I felt I had a good eye and could see if things were straight, so I began to build without the encumbrance of the plumb line. Everything looked fine as we went along. It was not until we were just about to the topmost course that I saw how badly our wall was leaning. Everything had seemed to be fine along the way. But in the end, the reality was glaring and far from fine.

My life is like that wall. If I do not take the time every day to closely examine if I am on course with God’s plumb line, then I will lean, perhaps without even noticing it. Until it is too late. But take time it does. A lot of time. In prayer and scripture and meditation. The plumb bob reminds me, as Brother Lawrence said hundreds of years ago, to practice the presence of God. Daily, hourly, moment by moment, if possible. Life can be like a wall. It can be built on a solid foundation, but if you don’t examine every course, every move and align with God’s purpose, then life can quickly start to lean in the wrong direction.

I have seen what aligning with the prevailing pull of the world will do to the course of my life. My plumb bob reminds me to do otherwise.

Anonymous