When my husband retired in 2023, he offered to help me with some of the many household tasks I had been doing alone. Because I hate to unload the dishwasher, I suggested he might want to take over this task. I congratulated myself for being so clever. What I soon discovered, however, is that hubs didn’t know where everything in the kitchen was supposed to go. When in doubt, he put items in whatever spots seemed handy. After he unloaded the dishwasher, I often had to go on Easter egg hunts to find things in the kitchen. Clearly, we needed to talk. My intent is not to bash my brave, hard-working, smart, funny, loyal spouse; however, his dishwasher-unloading technique reminds me of a much greater issue. We humans like to do things our own way. We take matters into our own hands, sometimes bending God’s laws to our own benefit. We make excuses, forgetting that God’s rules do not shift with time. (“I the Lord do not change.” – Malachi 3:6.) Once I started digging, I found many verses that warn us to stay true to God’s Word. For example, Deuteronomy 5:32 says, “So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.” I love the way the Bible, with its poetic language, often compares our Christian experience to a walk. The Bible tells us that Noah “walked with God,” and we all know the rest of the story. King Solomon, considered the wisest person in the world during his lifetime on earth, used a similar analogy in Proverbs 4:26-27: “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” This is (of course) easier said than done, but I believe we should all strive to maintain a straight path. I’m sure my husband will agree (as long as I don’t ask him to change the way he unloads the dishwasher). 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