Boundaries

When Gabe and Kristina were alot smaller and wanted to play outside I would always say "Don't go past that tree and don't even think about going past that bush." I always gave them boundaries because at the time we didn't have a fenced in yard. Now, that they are older, Kristina wouldn't even think about going outside and Gabe is old enough to look for cars and pay attention (for the most part). But, I still give boundaries. I have to. I'm a Mom. When Kristina gets in the car with a friend I want to know where they are going, what route they plan to take and give an exact time to be back. "Don't even think of leaving Dora/Sumiton!" They roll their eyes thinking "Yeah, yeah, yeah" but knowing all the while that if their rear ends even consider leaving the city limits of our litte bitty town I would seriously cause some damage. Kristina's favorite threat is when I say "Little girl, I will pull the blonde right out of your hair if you..." When Gabe goes to spend the night at a buddy's house I go through the same routine with him "Don't even consider sneaking out of that house at night and going trasping through the woods. Your rear end better stay planted IN their house, not on the porch, not on the deck nor in the front or back yard when it is bed time." Why do I give Gabe these boundaries you ask, he has tried it before!

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I have a pretty railing that runs around my front porch. It is white with spindles. It protects you from falling off the porch into a rose bush, a holly bush and gardina bush here and there. My side porch has a railing as well to keep you from walking straight off of it onto the concrete. Good thing those railings are there because so many times I have not been paying attention and been clumsy and had to catch myself. Let me tell you, when all of this fat gets to going in one direction there is no stopping it! I'm just along for the ride!! (heehee)

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The police have boundaries on how far they can travel down a road and still be in their jurisdiction. Shane works on an assembly line and he tells me that he has a line that is painted on the floor and if he isn't finished assembling his part by the time the vehicle reaches that line then the entire line just stops because he crossed his boundary. Boundaries everywhere. That is how God intended it.

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"This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side." Numbers 34:12. Here the Israelites were entering the promised land and God was giving them boundaries. Why? For their own good! Just as parents set boundaries for our children; God sets boundaries for his children as well. He knew well before you and I were ever born that there would be things in this world that we, as his children, didn't need to be a part of and therefore he said "Don't go past this line!" He told Adam and Eve not to eat from that one tree but they did and sin entered the world. He gave them a boundary, they broke it and they paid the price for it. Just as our children pay the price when they break our boundaries we must pay the price for breaking the boundaries that God has laid out for us.

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Many of us struggle with worldly things. We see people taking part in something that seems so fun and we want to be a part of it too but in our spirit we just know that something isn't right about that. That tug you feel in your spirit is God saying "Hey, don't go past this bush! Stay within that tree line!" Listen to your Father! After all, don't we know that Father knows best!