THE HIGH WAY AND THE LOW
by Erwin Bourne—January 28, 2002
My sainted mother was a fond lover of poetry. This
ran in the family. From earliest childhood I can
remember my mother quoting by memory erstwhile poetry,
and I, myself, memorized lengthy poems. She often
quoted the poem about “The High Way and the Low.” I
never read this in print so never memorized it. If
you can help me, please send it to me via e-mail,
To every one there openeth,
A highway and a low;
And every one must choose
The way his soul should go.
I was born on a Nebraska ranch. I was born in a
December blizzard. And I was born adventursome. The
day before my wedding, I with three other young men,
climbed down the Royal Gorge near Canyon City,
Colorado, while on a geology trip. My pastor said
that if I’d have asked for permission, he would have
said, “No!” He did say “No” to my missionary call. I
am a survivalist! One missionary at the turn of the
previous century said, “I never new a healthy day in
my life until I began roughing it in the wilds of
Alaska.” He went north against the opinion of others.
My wife is not an adventurous person. She believes in
me; and she believes in God. I need her caution and
her steadfastness. We work as a team. We don’t “gee”
and “haw” against each other. I couldn’t make it here
in Amazonas without her; and she wouldn’t be here
were it not for me.
Jean and I are on the high way of adventure. But this
choice was motivated by the call of God and our
agreement to go to the mission field. At one time I
was on the Amazon alone—Jean had not yet received her
call from God. This she received as she hung up the
receiver after talking to me in Colombia. God spoke
to her clearly, “Jean, I want you in Leticia. She had
been having heart symptoms of which she told me
nothing, thinking I had enough concern. I did return
to Colorado early because of physical problems of my
own. God had healed Jean while I was up on the third
floor of the same hospital. She called me, “Erwin,
if you want to go to Leticia with me, you’d better get
well quick!
Yours for OUTREACH AMAZON
—Erwin and Jean Bourne