Life Verse

When I was growing up having a "life verse" was a big deal.  Grown-ups trotted them out on testimony nights, and we kids did our best to figure out which Scripture would steer us right.  The inescapable classic was Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
It was the kind of thing where an evangelist could step out from behind the pulpit, smile at the assembly, and ask, "How many of you are guided through life by Proverbs 3:5-6?" and two-thirds of the audience woud raise their hands.  This meant, Proverbs 3:5-6 was one of the few pieces of Scripture not up for consideration by me.
My first choice was Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger."  I had/have a temper problem, and I like the blunt approach.  The ironic problem was the precision of the verse left everything else to wobble, and it required explaining when the second tier evangelists asked us children about our life verse.  All that explaining made me sound like an idiot.  The Lord nudged me toward Proverbs 3:5-6, but I was still too proud.  I wanted to find something exciting and esoteric.  So I read Malachi, Haggai and everything else, but only one Scripture seemed to fit--Proverbs 3:5-6.
I gave in and I'm glad I did.  Every time I think I really understand it, it shows me a new face, and I glory in its depths.  It has been a hope, a road, a handhold.  I have spent nights reciting it.  Where Malachi may have made me look smart, Proverbs 3:5-6 has made me look out of myself and onto hope.