The Villager Who Led Us to Safety
Read Time / 2 Minutes
Theme / Financial Planning
In the distance, we could see smoke billowing to the heavens, and we knew it was a bad omen. As my family and I drove closer, there was a crowd on the road nervously watching their village burn to the ground. We were traveling on a road in Papua New Guinea and had come across the aftermath of a tribal fight. One tribe had sought revenge on another tribe by burning down their huts, a typical response in tribal warfare.
When we came upon the crowd, we were uncertain as to what we should do: turn-around, stay-put, exit the vehicle, or keep driving. We were thankful when a helpful villager approached our vehicle and told us to keep moving to be safe. As he parted the crowd, we navigated our way through the drifting smoke and continued our journey under blue skies.
Looking back at the event, we were thankful for the villager who provided the advice we needed to successfully navigate to safety. In many ways, it is akin to what financial advisors do – helping people navigate life to successfully reach their goals. There are many things in our financial lives that we must consider: borrowing and debt, stewardship and generosity, taxes and insurance, goal setting and investing, work and retirement, and wealth transfer.
Proverbs 11:14 reads, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” We all have an “abundance of counselors” in our lives, including doctors, dentists, pastors, teachers, and many more. A Christian financial advisor can provide biblical guidance to help you navigate through the smoke of life to reach your blue-sky goals.
A few days later, I learned that no villagers were hurt in the fires, which pleased me. It was going to be challenging enough for the villagers to rebuild their village and they did not need the added burden of the loss of loved ones. I hope to never encounter another incident like that. But if I do, I pray there is someone there to guide me to safety.
Doug Hanson, MBA
Wealth Advisor
208.697.3699
doug@christianwm.com
