We can all sense when there is danger. We have heightened awareness, our palms may begin to sweat and our pulse rises. Some of us sense danger in riding aeroplanes, getting into a lifts, being bitten by insects, dating the opposite sex and the list goes on.

In golf it doesn’t happen a lot but, but you can get hit with the golf ball.

A couple of weeks ago I was playing with a player who was having a bad day on the course and he commented after 11 holes that nothing could get any worse. I said it could in a roundabout way, saying something like you never know what the future holds. He proceeded on the next hole to have 10 on a par 3 not able to get out of the bunker and then on the next hole got hit with a golf ball on the fairway in the stomach. As he kneeled on the ground in pain he said that I was not the best player to have around on a bad day. We had a big laugh about it all after he recovered. I was only trying to tell him the truth about life; you never know what the future holds.

Sometimes people find me a little pessimistic, but I have grown up mostly talking about life as it is, with all its possibilities and try to make the most of this life. In some ways this is the sentiment of our author this week. For every activity there is a danger. Accidents do happen and sometimes they are tragic.

These verses appear in a series of short wisdom sayings and while they illustrate the dangers of everyday life, they hint at how with wisdom, one can avoid some of the dangers. The wise person most of the time can sense danger and avoid it.

So do we whipper snip the grass without glasses on? For a long time I did but in recent years I have become a little more wise and cautious. Do we take the time to work on our relationships so that they are healthy or is it too late and we missed the danger signs? In golf when we see the danger signs of a bad slice or hook do we seek help? It takes a lot of wisdom to know how far to go in a certain direction whether it be a career or relationship or project and when to stop change directions or press on.

What helps is sharing our life with others, having someone to talk to. God is our creator and is the best one to seek wisdom from. The dangers in life will always be there in life and our efforts need to be in avoiding them. But it is a shame when people avoid danger at all costs and live a sheltered life. It is clear that we do not know the future and sometimes the consequences of our actions, but at the same time life is too short not to be enjoyed and to be explored.

Prayer, Lord God thank you for the dangers in life that keep us on our toes. Amen.