車輪定位

作者：楊世禮 / 英譯：以恩

最近，我辦公室附近的一個加油站進行了大修，並對其設施進行了現代化改造。 就在前幾天，他們有一個新的廣告，問："您最近檢查過車輪定位了嗎？"

我記得那時用的是我的最後一輛旅行車，那是一輛道奇·阿斯彭旅行車。 我已經開它很長時間，以至於我感覺那四個輪子己經成了我肢體的一部份，受我的完全控制。 有個夏天，當我的一個朋友用它搬家後，他給了我一個令人驚訝的反饋。

"這是一輛非常有用的旅行車，但車輪定位很差。"

"但是......我從來沒有那樣的感覺，" 我反駁道。

"那是因為你已經習慣了這種錯誤的定位。" 他試圖向我解釋這種情況。我很快意識到他是對的。當我帶著汽車去進行定位檢查時，該問題已得到確認。機械師向我演示，如果讓車不受控制地向前行駛，汽車將自動偏向右邊。那是我第一次經歷到什麼叫定位錯誤。

當我的女兒看到這個新標示時，在我有機會向她解釋 "定位" 的含義之前，她笑了笑，並告訴我她知道這個詞。

"你從哪裡學到的"定位/對齊"一詞？" 我好奇地問。

"在學校，我們的電腦課上。" 她有些自豪地回答。

"電腦課？" 我的好奇心加倍。

"對齊欄是屏幕上的方形框，可保持打印筆直。"

這聽起來像是 " 定位/對齊" 的一個非常有用的定義：保持一致。

相同的原理可以應用於現實生活。對我們來說，偏離正路很容易。確實，一旦我們習慣了這種偏離的形式，我們甚至可能不會注意到自己己經偏離。

讚美詩作者羅伯特·羅賓遜（Robert Robinson），也許是根據他的親身經歷，寫道："我深知道我心易變，常離主愛行己路。"(萬福恩源)

這首讚美詩反映了我們內心的漂移，必須通過對照《聖經》和上帝的大能所揭示的永恆真理，來衡量我們的思想和價值觀，定期檢查這種內向漂移。

當詩人在思考自己的生活之路時，他意識到怎樣才能保守他行在正路上。 "祢的話是我腳前的燈，是我道路上的燈。"（詩119：105）

我們每天都要面對無數的信息，彷彿在不停地轟炸我們對神的忠誠和服事。我們被推往向著一千個不同的方向前進，以投入我們的資源和時間。因此保持正直的唯一方法，唯有遵循神的聖言，對準神的話。

您最近檢查過生活的定位了嗎？

ALIGNMENT JOB

by: C. S. Yeung

Recently, a gas station near my office underwent a major renovation and modernized their facilities. Just the other day, they had a new sign out asking, "Checked your alignment lately?"

I still remember my last station wagon, which was a Dodge Aspen wagon. I had it for so long that I felt as if the four wheels were part of my extremities, subject to my total control. One summer, after a friend of mine had used it for moving, he gave me a surprising feedback.

"It is a very useful station wagon but the alignment is very poor."

"But...I've never noticed it," I retorted.

"That's because you are used to the malalignment." He tried to explain the situation to me gently. I soon realized that he was right. The problem was confirmed when I took the car in for an alignment check. The mechanic demonstrated to me that my car would go towards the right if allowed free to go. That was my first experience with malalignment.

When my daughter saw the new sign, before I had a chance to explain to her what "alignment" meant, she gave me a smile and told me that she knew the word.

"Where did you learn the word 'alignment'?" I asked curiously.

"In school, during our computer class." She replied with some pride.

"Computer class?" My curiosity doubled.

"The alignment bar is the square box on the screen that keeps your prints straight."

That sounded like a very useful definition of alignment : to keep us going straight.

The same principle may be applied to real life. It is very easy for us to deviate from the straight path. Indeed, once we are accustomed to the deviated form, we may not even notice it.

The hymn writer, Robert Robinson, probably from his own experience, wrote, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love."

The hymn reflects upon the inward drift that must be regularly checked by measuring our thoughts and values against the eternal truths that have been revealed through the Scriptures and the mighty acts of God.

When the psalmist was pondering about the path of his life, he recognized what was needed to keep him straight. "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path." (Ps. 119:105)

We are daily the objects of bombardment of messages competing for our loyalties and labors. We are being pushed and pulled in a thousand different directions to invest our resources and our time. The only way to keep straight is to follow the divine alignment bar which is the Word of God.

Have you checked the alignment of your life lately?