Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Let There Be Limits...


"And God said, 'Let there be space between the waters, to separate water from water.' And so it was. God made this space to separate the waters above from the waters below. And God called the space 'sky.' This happened on the second day" (Genesis 1:6-8).

I have always had a hard time with boundaries--perhaps we all do to some extent. I tend to want to go where I'm not supposed to go. I'm kind of rebellious that way. I serve our local police department as a chaplain and the funnest part of the role is being able to get through a police barricade by showing my credentials--it just feels important. There is a second type of boundary though that is perhaps equally important in our lives. These are the boundaries that we use to protect ourselves from the potential abuses of others. I don't respect these personal boundaries very well. As a recovering "people-pleaser", I tend to naturally let others abuse my time and my talent. I don't respect myself enough to draw clear boundaries and to enforce them. But I'm learning.

God created some boundaries on the second day to make some space called sky. The sky is good because it contains the oxygen that we need to breath and it allows us the room to grow and thrive. My Tuesday's this year will be all about discovering and maintaining healthy boundaries so that I can breathe and grow. These aren't rules but rather guiding lights that will hopefully keep me honoring God by accomplishing the things that He has placed before me to do without being distracted by the tyranny of the expectations of others. Perhaps you would join me in my quest for boundaries by examing your own life today. May we all learn to do exactly what God has for each and everyone of us--nothing more--nothing less!

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