A Guarantee You Can Trust

Ed McClanahan

As a former trainer of police recruits, one of the first things on the agenda was to teach an academy graduate how to find an address. Their area must be learned without the use of GPS, as they can’t always be trusted and could be down in an emergency. In Thurston County, addresses are assigned into the four quadrants of northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. Those lines are figurative and change street names, but they start in downtown Olympia at 4th avenue and Capital Blvd. In Lacey that turns into Martin Way. So an address such as 4721 16th Ave. SE means that the property is 47 blocks east of Capital Blvd, and 16 blocks south of Martin Way. First responders then must learn the hundred blocks for key streets. In this case, College street is 46 blocks east of Capital Blvd, so we know that the above address is just one block east of College street on 16th Ave. Named streets are harder, but their numbers still mean they are that many blocks from one of the dividing lines.

As followers of Jesus, we get our training from the Bible. The scriptures are full of answers to life’s questions. Curious about whether or not it’s okay to fudge on your taxes a little? The answer can be found in Romans 13: 1-7 and Luke 20: 20-25. Wondering who is supposed to be considered your neighbor that you’re required to love as you do yourself? Read the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10: 25-37. Can’t be sure if you’re supposed to fast or how to do it? Read Matthew 6: 16-18.

Ramp up your training with regular Bible reading. The Lord wants you to have the answers, and he speaks to us through his word. It’s a guarantee you can trust.