In the book Anne of Green Gables, Anne’s experience on the ridge-pole of Mr. Barry’s house nearly ended in despair and not hope.

Her classmate and rival Josie Pye dared Anne to walk the ridge-pole of the house, and Anne took the dare because she thought her honor was at stake.

Anne told her best friend, “I shall walk that ridge-pole Diana, or perish in the attempt.”  Not long after Anne began walking the ridge-pole, she lost her balance and came tumbling down into the bushes that broke her fall.

Needless to say, ridge-poles should not be used as tightropes upon which only experienced acrobats know how to walk and balance themselves.

They are, however, a good indicator of a house’s condition.  If the ridge-pole of a house is out of line and sagging in the middle, the house is out of balance.  And when a house is out of balance, the doors will not close.

The sagging house condition is remedied when the center sill, which supports the ridge-pole, is raised by placing solid rock between the beam and the foundation.  Then, as the center sill is lifted up, the house falls into place, the ridge-pole no longer sags, and doors open.

When life sneaks up on people and knocks them off-balance, they often look like houses with sagging ridge-poles.  Like the sagging houses, however, their sagging, out-of-balance condition can be remedied.

When people’s spirits are lifted up and held in place by a solid mental, physical, and spiritual foundation, their lives can become balanced, things can fall into place, and doors can open.

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